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1950 NEW ZEALAND

DEPARTMENT of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH, 1950

Presented to Both Houses of the General Assembly by lueave

By Authority: R. E. Owen, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9so.

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION— Page 1. Scope of the Report ... ... ... ... 7 2. Organization of the Department of External Affairs ... 7 3. Information and Publicity ... ... ... ... 7 4. External Affairs Committee ... ... ... 8 THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH—1. General ... ... ... ... ... 9 2. Meeting of Prime Ministers (London, April, 1949) ... 9 3. Meeting of Foreign Ministers (Ceylon, January, 1950) ... 11 THE PACIFIC—1. South Pacific Commission ... ... ... ... 12 2. Relations with South Pacific Administrations ... ... 13 THE FAR EAST : SOUTH AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA—1. General ... ... ... ... ... 14 2. Japan ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 3. Korea ... ... ... ... ... ... 18 4. China ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 5. Indo-China ... ... ... ... ... 20 6. Federation of Malaya ... ... ... ... 21 7. Indonesia ... ... ... ... ... 21 8. Burma ... ... ... ... ... ... 22 9. India, Pakistan, and Ceylon ... ... ... 23 EUROPE—1. Atlantic Pact and Western Union ... ... ... 24 2. Germany and Austria ... ... ... ... 26 3. Greece ... ... ... ... ... ... 27 4. Spain ... ... ... ... ... ... 28 5. Peace Settlements with Italy, Roumania, Bulgaria, and Hungary ... ... ... ... ... 29

THE MIDDLE EAST— Page Palestine ... ... ... ... ... ••• 31 AFRICA—1. Former Italian Colonies ... ... ... ... 35 2. Indians in South Africa ... ... ... ... 36 3. South-west Africa ... ... ... ... 37 THE UNITED NATIONS—1. General ... ... ... ... ... 38 2. Maintenance of Peace and Security ... ... ... 40 3. Economic and Social Questions ... ... ... 44 4. Trusteeship and Non-self-governing Territories ... 58 5. Administration and Finance ... ... ... 64 6. Legal Questions ... ... ... ... ... 65 SPECIALIZED INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS—1. International Labour Organization (ILO) ... ... 66 2. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) ... ... ... 68 3. World Health Organization (WHO) ... ... ... 69 4. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ... ... 70 5. International Refugee Organization (IRO) ... ... 72 6. International Civil Aviation ... ... ... 73 7. International Telecommunications ... ... ... 74 .8. International Meteorological Organization (IMO) ... 76 9. International Whaling Commission ... ... ... 76 ECONOMIC AFFAIRS—1. International Trade and Monetary Organizations ... 77 2. The Commonwealth ... ... ... ... 79 3. European Recovery Programme ... ... ... 81 4. Other Economic Affairs ... ... ... ... 82 LEGAL AND CONSULAR AFFAIRS—1. General ... ... ... ... ... 82 2. Diplomatic Conference for the Protection of War Victims 83

NEW ZEALAND'S REPRESENTATION OVERSEAS— Page 1. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, United Kingdom ... ... ... ... 84 2. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Canada ... ... ... ... ... 86 3. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Australia ... ... ... ... ... 87 4. New Zealand Embassy, United States of America ... 87 5. New Zealand Legation, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 89 6. New Zealand Legation, France ... ... ... 90 7. Permanent Delegation of New Zealand to the United Nations, New York ... ... ... ... 92 8. Consulate-General of New Zealand, New York ... 93 9. Consulate-General of New Zealand, San Francisco ... 93 APPENDICES—1. Agreements Concluded Between New Zealand and Other Countries, 1 April, 1949, to 31 March, 1950 ... 94 2. New Zealand's Representatives Overseas ... ... 96 3. International Conferences at which New Zealand was Represented, 1 April, 1949, to 31 March, 1950 ... 98 4. Publications of the Department of External Affairs ... 104

INTRODUCTION 1. Scope of the Report The purpose of this report is to provide a review of the organization and administration of the Department of External Affairs and its overseas posts, and also to give a conspectus of the Department's substantive activity. It neither purports to provide a comprehensive survey of world affairs, nor to examine New Zealand's foreign policy; instead, it deals briefly with those events and situations which, by reason of geography, of politics, or of New Zealand's international commitments, are of direct importance to this country. It begins with a summary, under geographical headings, of important political subjects with which the Government has been concerned. An account of New Zealand's relations with international organizations follows. The succeeding sections review the Department's activities in international law and economic affairs and the work of New Zealand's overseas posts. Included in the Appendices are lists of the international agreements contracted by New Zealand during the year and of representation at international conferences. 2. Organization of the Department of External Affairs As the External Affairs work has increased in volume and diversity, it has been found necessary to regroup the Sections of the Department as follows : There are three main " geographical" Sections. Of these, the Western Political Section covers Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and America; the Eastern Political Section covers the Far East, South Asia, and South-east Asia; the Pacific Section covers the islands of the Pacific Ocean, Antarctica, and also deals with the particular problems associated with trusteeship. Relations with international bodies are the concern of a United Nations and an International Organizations Section. In addition, there are small Economic and Legal Sections. The Department continues to share its administrative services with the Prime Minister's Department. 3. Information and Publicity With the co-operation of the Information Section of the Prime Minister's Department, the Department of External Affairs ensures that New Zealand's representatives overseas are kept up to date on important developments and events in this country. The demand for information material on New Zealand is greater than the supplies which can be provided.

Items and opinions of current interest in New Zealand are summarized briefly by cable to the major posts and more fully in a weekly newsletter for the information of all New Zealand offices overseas ; this latter service is also extended to other New Zealanders abroad. The Department regularly supplies the libraries at the posts with New Zealand books and periodicals for reference and lending purposes. With the aid of these libraries and of special articles prepared by the Information Section, posts are usually able to answer immediately the many and varied inquiries they receive. A steadily increasing demand for information from educational institutions, as well as from the general public overseas, has been met by the distribution of as many publications as can be provided. The posts also receive visual material produced by the National Film Unit and the National Publicity Studios. A lending library of films and film strips is maintained at each post; maps and posters have been distributed to schools and libraries. Photographs are made available to newspapers and other publications, and much material has been supplied for exhibitions, particularly at New Zealand House in London. The Department's publications, including reports of New Zealand delegations to international conferences, treaties to which New Zealand is a party, and other international documents of interest to New Zealand, are widely distributed, both in this country and overseas, to universities, schools, libraries, and the general public. Appendix IV lists the publications of the Department which have been printed during the year. 4. External Affairs Committee During the parliamentary session the Department's services were available to the Select Committee on External Affairs appointed by the House of Representatives on 8 July, 1949. As in previous years, by arrangement with the Legislative Department, the Committee's Secretariat was provided by the Department of External Affairs, which is responsible for furnishing documentary material required by the Committee. Under this arrangement members of the Committee were supplied with regular surveys of current events produced by New Zealand missions overseas, information papers on current international questions written by the Secretariat, and papers on individual subjects prepared at the request of the Committee.

THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH 1. General Although notable developments in the constitutional structure of the British Commonwealth have taken place as a result of the decisions of the meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in April, 1949, there has been no weakening in the spirit of friendly co-operation that has been increasingly characteristic of the Commonwealth connection. Day-to-day exchanges of views and information on both departmental and Ministerial levels have continued as in the past, and these have been supplemented by regular meetings of Commonwealth High Commissioners in London under the chairmanship of the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. Wherever possible, Commonwealth Governments have kept one another informed of policies and lines of action that might affect the Commonwealth as a whole. Although Imperial Conferences and, more recently, meetings of Commonwealth Prime Ministers have been a regular feature in the development of the British Empire and Commonwealth, it was not till the Prime Ministers' meeting in London in 1948 that the principle of regular consultation at a Ministerial level in such specific fields as economic policy and foreign affairs was adopted. Arising from this, a meeting of Commonwealth Finance Ministers was held in London in July, 1949, and a meeting of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers (with a concurrent meeting of economic experts) in Colombo in January, 1950. There have thus been three full-scale Commonwealth meetings on a Ministerial level in the space of twelve months. • 2. Meeting of Prime Ministers (London, April, 1949) When the two new Asian Dominions of India and Pakistan were created on 15 August, 1947, their relationship to the British Commonwealth of Nations was not finally determined. The position of India in this regard naturally arose in connection with the work of the Indian Constituent Assembly on a draft Constitution. It soon became apparent that under the new Constitution India would become a " sovereign democratic republic " and that the sovereignty of His Majesty the King over India would be extinguished. The question remained as to whether, as a republic, India could retain her membership of the British Commonwealth. Could the constitutional basis of the Commonwealth connection be adapted to include a republican country owing no allegiance to the Crown ?

The future status of India in the Commonwealth was the subject of informal discussion at both London and Paris at the time of the meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in October, 1948. In these discussions the Prime Minister of India, Pandit Nehru, indicated that although India proposed to proceed with her already expressed intention of becoming a republic she was anxious to remain a member of the Commonwealth. Early in 1949 the United Kingdom Government, in view of the imminence of the adoption of the new Indian Constitution, decided to convene a meeting of Prime Ministers to discuss the future status of India. As a preliminary step, United Kingdom representatives visited the countries of the Commonwealth with the object of placing United Kingdom views before the Governments concerned. Lord Listowel came to New Zealand. By the time the Prime Ministers gathered in London in April, 1949, the problem had resolved itself into a decision as to the form in which India's continued membership of the Commonwealth would be recognized. The communique* issued at the conclusion of the meeting recited that the Government of India had declared and affirmed India's desire " to continue her full membership of the Commonwealth of Nations and her acceptance of The King as the symbol .of the free association of its. independent member nations and as such the Head of the Commonwealth " ; and went on to record the declaration of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, and Ceylon that they remained " united as free and equal members of the Commonwealth of Nations ..." The third paragraph of the formula emphasized th?t the basis of membership of the Commonwealth of other countries than India was not changed. India became a republic on 26 January, 1950, by the entry force of the Constitution of India. Since that date the new republic has continued to have the status of full Commonwealth membership. Once again it has been demonstrated that the British Commonwealth of Nations is not a rigid structure, but is a free association based on common interests and common understandings and subject to growth as a result of mutual adjustments. Acceptance of the Republic of India as an equal member of the Commonwealth and the realization on all sides that common interests do in fact call for common understanding will lead, it is hoped, to effective collaboration on the new basis. A number of outstanding legal questions arising from the new status of India have been under consideration by the Department.

* See External Affairs Publication No. 79.

3. Meeting of Foreign Ministers ' (Ceylon, January, 1950) This was the first occasion on which Commonwealth Foreign Ministers had come together for the purpose of exchanging views and information on foreign policy. Although agreed decisions were neither sought nor expected, the Conference exhibited a remarkable community of feeling and outlook. This spirit, which showed up against a background of great friendliness and understanding, showed that recent constitutional developments have in no way weakened the ties of common tradition and interest that bind the countries of the British Commonwealth together. Although close attention was given to the general world situation, the greater part of the Conference was devoted to discussions on problems arising in South-east Asia and the Far East. Among these were the relations between Commonwealth countries and China, the struggle in Indo-China, the Japanese peace settlement, and the situation in Burma and Malaya. After reviewing the general situation in South and South-east Asia, the Conference was impressed with the urgent necessity of raising standards of living in these areas. It accordingly recommended the adoption of a plan for economic development of the underdeveloped countries of South and South-east Asia. This plan, which was based on proposals put forward jointly by the representatives of Ceylon and Australia, provided for the setting-up of a Commonwealth Consultative Committee to hold its first meeting in Australia in May, 1950. The Committee was to draw up plans for prompt help designed to raise living standards in these countries by way of technical and possibly financial and other kinds of assistance, as well as a plan for long-term development of the area. The New Zealand delegate, the Hon. F. W. Doidge, in expressing his approval of the Colombo Plan, made it clear that New Zealand, while giving strong support to the proposals for economic development in South and South-east Asia, would, for financial and other reasons, have to confine any contribution to technical assistance. He believed, however, that New Zealand would be able to play a worthy part by this means. The recommendations of the Conference relating to the establishment of a Commonwealth Consultative Committee on economic development in South and South-east Asia, and also of a working party on the Japanese peace settlement to meet in London in May, were approved by the Government. On his return journey from Colombo the Minister of External Affairs conferred in Singapore with the United Kingdom Com-missioner-General for South-east Asia, the Right Hon. Malcolm

Mac Donald, and in Jakarta with the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of the United States of Indonesia, Dr Sukarno and Dr Hatta. THE PACIFIC 1. South Pacific Commission At the beginning of March, 1949, the South Pacific Commission moved into its permanent headquarters in the Pentagon Building at Noumea. The steps leading to the formation of the Commission and the details of its early organization have been outlined in the last two annual reports. Now past the organizational stage, the Commission is well advanced upon its working programme. The main developments since the last annual report have been the third and fourth sessions of the Commission held at Noumea, the elaboration of the work programme by the Research Council, and the preparations for the first South Pacific Conference and the fifth session of the Commission to be held at Suva during late April and early May, 1950. At the third session of the South Pacific Commission, held at Noumea during May, 1949, New Zealand was represented by the New Zealand Commissioners, Mr C. G. R. McKay and LieutenantColonel F. W. Voelcker. The first report of the Research Council was received and the details of the research programme approved. The Commission approved also the organizational and administrative arrangements for the following South Pacific Conference. At the' fourth session at Noumea in October, 1949, under the chairmanship of Lieutenant-Colonel F. W. Voelcker, associate members of the Research Council for 1950 were elected. They included three New Zealanders : Mr F. J. H. Grattan, Secretary of Samoan Affairs ; Mr D. R. Eden, General Manager, New Zealand Reparation Estates, Western Samoa; and Dr J. C. Lopdell, Chief Medical Officer, Western Samoa. Arrangements were completed for the holding of the first South Pacific Conference. The New Zealand delegates noted the considerable progress made on the work programme of the Commission. The Commission is investigating also the possibilities of accelerated progress that may result from an international policy of technical aid, and this will be studied further at the next meeting of the Research Council. The Commission adopted a Budget for 1950 of £145,000, New Zealand's share of which is 15 per cent. There is a Working Committee to carry on the work of the Commission between sessions, and the recommendations of this Committee are considered at each session of the Commission.

Lieutenant-Colonel F. W. Voelcker is the New Zealand representative. One meeting was held during the year, in August. This proved particularly useful in giving consideration to the annual Budget prior to its submission to the Commission itself. The Commission work programme includes twenty-eight projects in the field of health, economic, and social development. In the field of social development, special importance is attached to education, in particular, technical education. At present, a sixmonths' study is being made of the needs of the South Pacific area for technical training. Co-ordination of research is perhaps the most important function of the South Pacific Commission, and the work being done by the full-time members and by the associate members of the Research Council is of great importance for the development of the territories of the South Pacific. The Research Council, which held its first meeting in Sydney in April, 1949, will meet there again in August, 1950. The Commission was engaged during the year in preparations for the first South Pacific Conference. The purpose of the Conference was to bring the peoples of the South Pacific area into closer touch with the work of the Commission and to obtain an expression of their opinion on the social and economic problems of the area. Representatives from Western Samoa and the Cook Islands and official New Zealand observers were to attend. The New Zealand Government are participating fully in the activities of the South Pacific Commission and have taken a prominent part in shaping its work. The Commission is a valuable instrument for he furtherance of international co-operation in the South Pacific—a task which it is performing with energy and success—and its work is evidence of the progressive and positive policy of the six member countries in regard to the social and economic advancement of the island peoples. 2. Relations with South Pacific Administrations The regional co-operation fostered by the activities of the South Pacific Commission has stimulated the relations of New Zealand with South Pacific Administrations in the fields of health and economic and social affairs. The Commission's work can be expected to increase the number of requests for advice and for the services of trained personnel, which are at present received largely from British Administrations in the area. It has generally been possible for New Zealand to provide the assistance requested. Particularly in the education and nursing services New Zealand makes a large contribution to progress in the Pacific.

Correspondence is exchanged with the Governments of American Samoa, Fiji, Western Pacific High Commission, the Government of Tonga, and with the British Consuls in Tahiti and New Caledonia on matters of trade, commerce, finance, civil aviation, strategic and defence matters, public works, immigration, agriculture, and health. In association with the Government of Fiji and the Western Pacific High Commission, New Zealand is concerned with the operation of a South Pacific Health Service, now in its fourth year of development. New Zealand has two representatives on the South Pacific Board of Health, which has advisory functions concerned with the training of nurses and native medical practitioners and the encouragement of research. In accordance with the agreement establishing the Service, a pool of medical officers is being built up, despite difficulties presented by a widespread post-war shortage of doctors. It is hoped to renew the agreement, which is at present under review, for a further five-year period. During the year negotiations with the Government of French Oceania for a settlement of the advances made during the war to the French authorities in the South Pacific were satisfactorily concluded in Paris. Also under negotiation for renewal is the agreement under which New Zealand on her own behalf and for her island territories, Western Samoa, the Government of Fiji, the Western Pacific High Commission, and the Government of American Samoa, maintains an establishment on Makogai for the treatment of lepers from their respective territories. The term of the agreement just expired was for twenty years, and renewal for a further ten years is under consideration. The New Zealand Government is also a partner with the Australian and United Kingdom Governments in the British Phosphate Commission, which is concerned with the working and supply of much-needed phosphate from Nauru and Ocean Islands. At Nauru the Commission is assisting the Administration in the rehousing of the Nauruans as a contribution to the reparation of the destruction caused by Japanese occupation. THE FAR EAST; SOUTH AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA 1. General During the period, standard definitions of the following geographical terms were adopted : South Asia ... India, Pakistan, Ceylon, Nepal, Afghanistan. South-east Asia ... Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, Malaya, Singapore, British territory in Borneo, Indonesia, Philippines, Portuguese Timor. Far East ... China, Korea, Japan.

The three areas so defined come within the scope of the Eastern Political Section of the Department. As in the past, events in these areas have continued to be of particular significance to New Zealand and have therefore been closely watched. New Zealand has no diplomatic posts in Asia, although there is a Trade Commissioner in Bombay and a Trade Representative in Tokyo, and information that is received through the courtesy of other Commonwealth countries is therefore of great value. Our representatives at the fifth session of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) at Singapore and at the Colombo Conference of British Commonwealth Foreign Ministers had useful discussions with Asian Ministers and officials, and were able to study some of the problems of the area at first hand. In addition, the work of the various United Nations and other international bodies has afforded opportunities of meeting Asian representatives. During the period the subject of regional co-operation in Asia and the Pacific has aroused much interest, both in New Zealand and elsewhere. Proposals have been made for the establishment of organizations to ensure economic and cultural collaboration among the countries of the area, raise standards of living in the underdeveloped countries, or form a military alliance to resist Communist aggression. The Minister of External Affairs has said that New Zealand will support the Colombo plan for economic development in South and South-east Asia to the fullest possible extent consistent with her financial and economic resources. Tt was considered, however, that participation in this scheme and in the work of ECAFE would strain New Zealand's limited resources and that it would not be wise at this stage to take part in any other conferences or organizations concerned with regional co-operation in Asia. The desirability of having a Pacific Pact has been carefully studied. The Minister of External Affairs has made a number of statements approving the idea that the countries of the Pacific opposed to Communism should band together in common defence measures but pointing out that, to be successful, such a pact must include powerful countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and India. 2. Japan Japanese Peace Settlement No progress has been made towards the settlement of the longstanding disagreement between the major Powers over the procedure for the peace treaty for Japan. The attitude of the United States

and the United Kingdom has continued to be that all the Pacific belligerents are entitled to an equal voice at the peace conference, while the Soviet Union has refused to recede from the position that there should be a preliminary examination of the question by the Council of Foreign Ministers. In January, at the Commonwealth Conference on foreign affairs held in Colombo, views were exchanged on the more important problems relating to Japan and the broad objectives to be pursued in drawing up the peace settlement. The New Zealand delegate (Hon. F. W. Doidge) emphasized the importance which the New Zealand Government attached to the conclusion of a treaty which, while releasing Japan from many of the disabilities of the existing regime of control, would at the same time establish long-term safeguards against the resurgence of Japanese militarism. At the conclusion of the general discussion the Conference agreed that a working party should be appointed to consider the detailed terms of the treaty under the direction of the Commonwealth High Commissioners in London with the object of co-ordinating the views of the Commonwealth countries. Far 'Eastern Commission Members of the New Zealand Embassy in Washington have continued to represent New Zealand at the regular meetings of the Far Eastern Commission. In November the Commission's membership was increased to thirteen when Burma and Pakistan were invited to participate. The deterioration in the value of the Commission's proceedings, noted in last year's annual report, has become a matter of increasing concern to those member nations which of necessity retain a close and continuing interest in Japanese affairs. Its extended term of operation, resulting from the unforeseen delay in the conclusion of a peace settlement, and the relative difficulty with which consequent modifications can be made in the policy framework established earlier, as well as the growing divergence between the aims of the Soviet Union and other Commission members, have progressively reduced its effectiveness in determining current occupation policy. The right of the United States to take unilateral action in'cases of urgency has been more frequently exercised and there has been a further extension of the administrative authority vested in the Supreme Commander. In January the Soviet representative, pursuing the same policy as that adopted in the Security Council, announced that the Soviet Union would take no part in the Commission while the Chinese Nationalist representative continued to attend its meetings.

Because of these accumulating difficulties, the Commission's record of achievement during the period under review has been unimpressive. The provisions of the existing policies relating to the restitution of looted property and access to technical and scientific information in Japan have been extended, policy decisions on agrarian reform and on trade-marks, trade-names, and the marking of merchandise in Japan approved, and a message forwarded to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers bringing to his attention certain points which had arisen in connection with the Commission's review of the 1946 Japanese Constitution. Following the statement in May of United States policy, the questions of Japanese reparations and levels of industry were reconsidered, but no agreed decisions have so far emerged. Of more importance has been the detailed examination of Japanese participation in international relations, a problem which has assumed significance with the impasse in negotiations for a peace treaty. Other proposals awaiting decision are those concerning civil aviation, Japanese shipping and shipbuilding, and the treatment of Japanese assets in neutral countries. The Allied Council for Japan In December Colonel W. R. Hodgson replaced Mr. Patrick Shaw as Joint Representative of the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and India. The Allied Council, originally established to act in an advisory capacity, has for a number of reasons, at no time been able to make any effective contribution to the implementation of Allied policy in Japan. At the end of the year, after an extended period of complete inactivity, the Council set out to examine the problem of repatriation of Japanese prisoners of war still held in Russia. The Soviet representative, however, refused to discuss the subject, and informed the Council that he would not attend its meetings while the subject of repatriation was retained on the agenda. New Zealand Government Trade Representative in Japan During the last twelve months the New Zealand Government Trade Representative has been principally concerned with negotiations for the new trade arrangement between the sterling area and Japan, concluded in November, and with the working party responsible for reviewing progress under the arrangement. When interim reparation removals from Japan were terminated in May, the Reparations Technical Advisory Committee was dissolved. The Trade Representative has, however, continued to represent New

Zealand on the Restitution Advisory Committee, which assists SCAP in the disposition of unidentified looted properties. During the year further progress has been made in the restoration of New-Zealand-owned properties in Japan. Of direct interest to the Department has been the greatly extended programme of British Commonwealth social and cultural activities in Japan, to which New Zealand has contributed posters, photographs", and other publicity material. Arrangements have also been made for the exchange of scientific technical, and commercial publications between New Zealand and Japanese departments and organizations. The United Kingdom and Australian Missions in Japan have continued to keep the Department informed on major economic and political developments. 3. Korea In its report to the fourth regular session of the General Assembly published in August, 1949, the United Nations Commission on Korea pointed out that its endeavours to achieve the major United Nations objectives for Korea had met with little success. The report observed that the Soviet Union, which had chosen to regard the Commission as an illegal body, had encouraged its satellite beyond the 38th parallel, the so-called People's Republic of Korea, to flout the Commission's authority and to oppose all the Commission's efforts to facilitate the unification of the country. The report concluded that the deterioration of relations between the Government of the Republic, established under United Nations observation in May, 1948, and the regime in the north held a serious danger of armed conflict and of barbarous civil war. The debate in the Assembly on the Commission's report followed very closely the pattern of the discussions in Paris in 1948. The representative of the Republic of Korea asked that the United Nations Commission should continue its work and that, since guerrilla activity was increasing, military observers should be assigned to assist it. Repeating routine propaganda attacks, representatives of the Slav bloc denounced the Korean Republic as a puppet of foreign States and demanded the termination of the Commission, which was, they asserted, merely a tool of the United States. The majority of delegates, however, including the New Zealand representative, rejected these charges, at the same time expressing their desire to see the Commission re-established to give its immediate attention to the maintenance of peace in Korea. In its plenary meeting the Assembly voted by 48 to 6to continue the Commission on Korea. One of its primary functions is to observe and report any developments which may endanger peace in the peninsula. It is also to assist, whenever in its judgment a favourable opportunity arises, in bringing about

unification and is to be available for observation and consultation throughout Korea in the continuing development of representative government. The Commission's return at the end of 1949 was the signal for renewed demands from the north for its immediate withdrawal. As the situation along the border has remained tense, military observers proceeded to Korea in March at the Commission's request. In the meantime, the Republic of Korea has strengthened its international status. Twenty-seven countries, including New Zealand, have extended recognition to the Republic, and although its application for admission to the United Nations has been vetoed by the Soviet Union, it has been received into membership of a number of specialized international organizations. The regime in the north has continued to develop its ties with the Soviet bloc. 4. China An event of far-reaching consequence not only for New Zealand and the nations of Asia, but for the world as a whole, has been the collapse of the National Government on the mainland of China and the emergence from the protracted civil conflict of a unified and effective Communist regime. The withdrawal to Formosa of Marshal Chiang Kai-Shek's administration, and the formation in September of a Central People's Government in Peking, gave prominence to the problem of China's future international status, in which New Zealand has had a particular interest not only because of her direct relations with China, but also because of her membership of the United Nations and other bodies where the question of Chinese representation has arisen. New Zealand has continued to recognize the Nationalist Government as the only legal Government of China. A number of countries including the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, and Ceylon, have recognized the Communist Government of Mao Tse Tung. Developments in China were the subject of a continuing exchange of views among Commonwealth countries during the period. In November, 1949, the General Assembly discussed, at the request of the Chinese representative, an agenda item concerning threats to the political independence and territorial integrity of China resulting from Soviet violations of the 1945 Sino-Soviet Treaty and the Charter of the United Nations. The representatives of the Soviet group and Yugoslavia denied the right of the Nationalist delegate to represent the Chinese people, and said that they would not take part in the debate or recognize any decision adopted by the Assembly on this agenda item. After appealing to the Assembly to condemn Soviet breaches of the Sino-Soviet Treaty and the Charter, the Chinese

representative urged all member States to refrain from giving economic or military aid to the Chinese Communists, and recommended that no Communist regime in China should be accorded diplomatic recognition. A joint resolution was then adopted which laid down the general principles which should govern the relations of member States with China, including respect for the political independence of China, and the right of the Chinese people freely to choose their political institutions and maintain a Government independent of foreign control, as well as willingness to refrain from seeking special privileges or spheres of influence in China. However, there was a general feeling in the Assembly, shared by the New Zealand representative, that this resolution failed to deal adequately with the particular questions raised by the Chinese delegate, and it was decided to refer the issue for examination and study to the Interim Committee, which should report to the next session of the Assembly, or, if necessary, bring the subject to the notice of the Security Council. The Interim Committee subsequently decided to take no immediate action in the meantime. The Assembly's action did not, however, dispose of the question of Chinese representation in the United Nations, which has since assumed particular importance. In January a proposal put forward by the Soviet Union to expel the Chinese Nationalist representative from the Security Council was rejected. As a result, the Soviet delegate withdrew from the Council, announcing that he would not participate while the Nationalist Government continued to be represented, and that his Government would not recognize as legal any decisions taken in his absence. Similar Russian action took place in meetings of other United Nations organs agencies. In all cases where New Zealand was represented hef delegates voted against the Russian move. At the end of the period covered by this report, no way out of the impasse created by the question of Chinese representation was in sight. 5. Indo-China World attention has been focussed on the struggle for power in Vietnam between the French and the Government of Bao Dai on the one hand and the Communist-dominated Viet Minh organization led by Ho Chi Minh on the other. With the recent recognition of Bao Dai by the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and of Ho Chi Minh by the Soviet Union and the Communist Government in China, this conflict has assumed a wider significance. Under the terms of the various agreements and treaties concluded within the year between France and the States comprising the former colony of Indo-China—i.e., Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia—it was agreed that these territories should have the status of Associate States

within the French Union. New Zealand gave support to the Vietnamese Government of Bao Dai in October by voting for its admission to associate membership of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East. At the same time, New Zealand voted against the admission of the so-called Government of Ho Chi Minh. Furthermore, when the agreements and treaties referred to above came into force, the New Zealand Government formally recognized the new status of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in messages to their respective Foreign Ministers. 6. Federation of Malaya The situation in Malaya has remained disturbed, with Communistdirected bandits persisting in the terrorist activities that have been a feature of the Malayan scene since early in 1948. Although the ensuing disruption of normal economic activity has hampered efforts at reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country, that fact has not prevented the British Government from proceeding with their plans for ultimate self-government in Malaya, and considerable and significant progress has been made in racial co-operation through such agencies as the Government - sponsored Communities Liaison Committee. New Zealand continues to be concerned with events in this area, which is of stragetic importance to the South-west Pacific, and has made available to the Far East Command of the R.A.F. the services of a flight of Dakota transport aircraft from the R.N.Z.A.F. This flight, based on Singapore, has been employed almost entirely on transport duties between Singapore and Hong Hong, although more recently it has given valued service in supply-dropping missions in Malaya itself. 7. Indonesia The United Nations Commission for Indonesia made the first move toward settlement of the conflict that had troubled the Indonesian Archipelago since shortly after the surrender of Japan when, on. the instructions of the Security Council, it convened a meeting in Batavia among representatives of the Governments of the Netherlands, the Indonesian Republic, and the Federal States. The purpose of this meeting was to bring about a cessation of hostilities and to make preparations for a round-table Conference to determine the time and form of a transfer of sovereignty. Largescale military action virtually ceased after the Batavia Conference and both the Netherlands representatives and those of the Republic, the Government of which was now restored to Djokjakarta, displayed a greater measure of trust and confidence in each other than formerly.

In this happier atmosphere the delegates to the round-table Conference assembled at The Hague in August. Once again the United Nations Commission used its good offices in bringing the parties together, and the wide measure of agreement that was attained stands as a tribute to the statesmanlike qualities of the negotiators and to the skill in mediation of the members of the Commission. Agreement was reached on almost all points, the most important being the unanimity on unconditional transfer of sovereignty at an early date to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia, which would then take its place as an independent State within a Netherlands-Indonesian Union. One major issue that has yet to be settled concerns the future of Dutch New Guinea. This, the western portion of the island of New Guinea, is sparsely populated by a primitive people lacking linguistic, cultural, and ethnical affinity to the inhabitants of the Indonesian Archipelago, although included in the former administration of the Netherlands East Indies. In order not to prejudice the chances of the wider settlement, further consideration of this subject at The Hague was postponed, with the provision that the question of the status of this territory shall be finally determined by negotiation within one year after the date of transfer of sovereignty in Indonesia. In the meantime, the status quo is maintained. The transfer of sovereignty was completed and the independence of the new Republic proclaimed on 27 December, 1949. The New Zealand Government took this opportunity to despatch a message of greetings and good will in terms that constituted recognition. Later, the Minister of External Affairs visited Djakarta (formerly Batavia) on his way home from the Colombo Conference in order to convey the good wishes of the New Zealand Government to the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the new Republic. % 8. Burma Conditions in Burma have for some time been disturbed by the activities of Communist and insurgent bands in the northern and central districts and the separatist movement of the Karen people in the south. During the Conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in London in April, 1949, the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, and Ceylon met to consider a request from the Burmese authorities for assistance in the early restoration of law and order in Burma. It was agreed to give whatever support was possible to the Burmese Government, and the implementation of this decision was discussed with Premier Thakin Nu by the representatives of these four countries in Rangoon. The question of financial assistance was again raised at the Colombo Conference of

Commonwealth Foreign Ministers in January, 1950, and it was announced on 24 March that the Governments of the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Australia, and Ceylon had agreed to make a joint offer of a two-year loan of £6,000,000 to the Burmese Government. Although New Zealand did not participate in the proposed loan, the New Zealand Government has followed, these developments in Burma with close attention and has expressed its readiness to extend any assistance possible in conjunction with other Commonwealth countries. 9. India, Pakistan, and Ceylon The situation arising from the formation of the Republic of India on 26 January, 1950, is discussed in more detail in another section of the report. New Zealand took part in the Conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in April, 1949, as well as in subsequent Commonwealth discussions of the future relations between India and the Commonwealth, and following the Indian declaration accompanying the Proclamation of the Republic that India would continue to recognize the Crown as the head of the Commonwealth, the Indian Government has maintained its former close and cordial relations with New Zealand and with other Commonwealth countries. During the year a considerable exchange of information and comment took place with the Government of Ceylon, particularly in connection with the organization and personnel of the newly reorganized administrative services of Ceylon, and a spirit of friendly co-operation marked the relations of the two smallest Commonwealth countries. New Zealand has taken an active interest in assisting Ceylon through the provision of experts in administrative and technical fields, although the extent of that help is necessarily limited by her slender resources, and several schemes for assistance are under consideration at the present time, among them the possible training in New Zealand of dental nurses from Ceylon. New Zealand has followed with concern developments in IndoPakistan relations. Although the period closed on a hopeful note, with negotiations proceeding satisfactorily towards an agreement for the protection of minorities and the settlement of refugee problems, many issues remain outstanding between the two countries. Pakistan's decision not to follow the action of India in devaluing the rupee in line with the sterling devaluation of September, 1949, has caused an almost complete stoppage of trade between the two countries, and the resulting partial dislocation of economies that are largely complementary has been increased by travel restrictions and other retaliatory measures. Renewed disturbances in East and West

Bengal towards the end of 1949 caused a fresh exodus of refugees from both areas, and accusations of ill-treatment and lack of sympathy for minorities were made by both Indian and Pakistan authorities. The United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan reported the failure of its efforts to secure the withdrawal and disarming of the opposing forces in Kashmir, made up of Indian and Pakistani regular forces, Kashmir State troops, and Azad Kashmir independent troops. The Indian proposal envisaged the disbanding of the Azad forces and the withdrawal of Pakistani troops before the Indian troops in Kashmir were to be removed, while Pakistan insisted that withdrawal of troops should be simultaneous. General McNaughton (Canada), President of the Security Council, in December approached both Governments with an offer of mediation, but discussions broke down over this question of demilitarization, which, according to the original resolution of the Security Council, must be an essential preliminary to the holding of a popular plebiscite in Kashmir. On 14 March, 1950, the Security Council resolved that the former United Nations Commission be replaced by a single mediator acceptable to both parties. It would be his task to assist in arranging demilitarization, which should be effected by 14 August, 1950, to put forward proposals designed to secure a peaceful settlement, and to make arrangements as soon as possible after demilitarization for the plebiscite administrator to organize the referendum. It has since been learned that the mediator will be Sir Owen Dixon, a Justice of the High Court of Australia, and that his appointment has proved acceptable to both Pakistan and India. EUROPE 1. Atlantic Pact and Western Union By April, 1950, the provisions of the Brussels and North Atlantic Treaties and the Statute of the Council of Europe had been translated into a system of functional organizations. The Brussels Treaty political, economic, social, and cultural committees had established in their fields close co-operation on the Ministerial and official levels among the Governments of the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands ; and the defence organization under Lord Montgomery had been taken as the nucleus of a wider regional grouping developed in accordance with the North Atlantic Treaty. This Western European grouping of Atlantic Pact member States forms the most highly developed of five regional planning groups, among which unity of purpose and co-operation in matters of collective defence are secured through a North Atlantic Council (Foreign Ministers of the twelve participating countries), Defence, Financial and Economic, and Military Committees, and a Military

Production and Supply Board. An over-all defence project on the basis of plans drawn up by the five regional groups was under consideration by the principal committees at the end of March, 1950, and the first shipments of United States arms and equipment had been delivered to member countries. There were indications that the Council would shortly give attention to political and economic questions as provided in Article 2 of the Treaty. The constituent bodies of the Council of Europe, the Consultative Assembly and Committee of Ministers, held their first sessions during August and September, 1949, at Strasbourg. The Assembly's decisions, aiming at fuller integration of the countries of Western Europe in the political, economic, legal, social, and cultural fields, at increasing the Assembly's powers in relation to the Committee of Ministers, and at the ultimate creation of " a European political authority with limited functions but real powers," were transmitted as recommendations to the Committee of Ministers and the more acceptable of them passed to member Governments for study or implementation. By the time of the Assembly's second session, scheduled for August, 1950, the Governments of Western Germany and the Saar will have considered invitations to become associate members* of the Council, whose present members are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. The formative stages of development in West European and Atlantic co-operation have therefore been completed: adequate machinery has been set up to implement the provisions of three comprehensive agreements covering defensive, political, economic, social, and cultural relations among States with which New Zealand has much in common. The development of collaboration among the States of Western Europe and the North Atlantic community brings into relief a number of problems—the position which a revived Western Europe would occupy in relation to the United States and the U.S.S.R. ; the degree to which security precautions against Germany can be reconciled with Germany's association with plans for European political and economic co-operation; and the position of the United Kingdom. United Kingdom foreign policy has been likened to a tripod with its three legs—the Commonwealth, the United States, and Europe. Of special interest to New Zealand is the adjustment of the United Kingdom's position in a closer European integration to her responsibilities as the centre of the British Commonwealth.

* Representation in the Consultative Assembly only—not in the Committee of Ministers

2. Germany and Austria There has still been no realization of the New Zealand Government's hope that the problem of Germany would be effectively submitted to a wider group than the four Great Powers, and, indeed, certain decisions taken by the Great Powers appear to make the prospect of a full-scale settlement with a united Germany more remote. However, the Department has continued to study long-term policy towards that country, and has closely followed day-to-day developments throughout the year. The House Committee for External Affairs has been supplied with regular information on internal conditions in Germany and the deliberations of the Council of Foreign Ministers, together with special reports on such important incidents as the end of the Berlin crisis and the West German elections. In recent months ? moreover, special consideration has been devoted to the possibility that there may be a settlement of certain issues involving Germany and the Allied Powers which, under normal circumstances, would already have been decided by a peace treaty. At the Paris meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers in 1949 it was tacitly recognized that, for the time being at least, German unity on a basis of four-power agreement was not possible and that Germany must remain split into two separate regions. Accordingly, the three Western Powers on the one hand, and the Soviet Union on the other, have proceeded in their zones of occupation to encourage the development of Governments favourable to them and reflecting, as far as possible, their own political beliefs. In addition, they have taken certain steps to reduce the disabilities suffered by those Governments and to increase their responsibilities. Thus in Eastern Germany the Government has gained the freedom to enter into diplomatic relations with certain States. In Western Germany considerable, freedoms have already been accorded the Government, and late this year the Occupation Statute, which delimits the spheres of authority of the Occupation Powers and the Western German Government, is to be reviewed. Within the next twelve months, therefore, there may be considerable progress towards the clarification of the international status and obligations of Western Germany, and the possibility cannot be rejected that this may be accomplished at an international conference in which New Zealand will participate. At present a settlement with Austria appears remote, although only apparently trivial articles of the treaty still await agreement. Accordingly, in view of the possibility that the settlement may be indefinitely delayed, consideration has been given within the Department to the question of declaring an end to the still-existing state of

war with Austria. No action has been taken, however, pending a decision by certain Western Powers concerning termination of the state of war with Germany. The Department has continued to provide a channel for communications to and from the New Zealand representative on the Inter-Allied Reparations Agency in Brussels. It has, however, been predicted that the Agency will cease work during 1950. This prediction appears likely to be fulfilled, since the Agency's dwindling responsibilities have been further diminished following the Bonn Agreement of November, 1949, between the three Western Allied High Commissioners and the Chancellor of the Western German Federal Republic, whereby certain plants, originally scheduled for dismantling, were withdrawn from the reparations list. Among reparations so far received by New Zealand have been a small motor-ship, machine tools, varied chemical and engineering equipment, air frames, aero engines and accessories, together with financial payments representing New Zealand's share of proceeds from the liquidation of German external assets in Spain. Further payments are expected following the liquidation of similar assets in Switzerland, Portugal, and Japan. 3. Greece The conclusions reported to the Fourth Assembly by the United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans (UNSCOB) were substantially similar to those of the previous year. Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia had, in the Committee's opinion, continued to disregard the recommendations of the Assembly. Albania and Bulgaria had continued to give moral and material assistance to the Greek rebel army, had allowed the guerrillas to make extensive use of their territories for tactical purposes, and had directly incited them to overthrow the Greek Government. It was notable, however, that assistance to the guerrillas from Yugoslavia, though continuing for some time, had diminished, and probably ceased during the first half of 1949. On the other hand, there had been an increase in the support afforded by certain States not bordering on Greece, particularly Roumania. Continuance of the existing situation constituted a threat to the political independence and territorial integrity of Greece and to international peace and security in the Balkans. Following the failure of a Conciliation Committee to develop a basis for agreement between the Governments of Greece and of Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia, the Assembly took up its study of the Greek question and considered two principal proposals. A draft resolution introduced by the Soviet Union called for the cessation of military operations in Greece, a general amnesty, free parliamentary

elections, establishment of a Joint Commission to control Greece's northern frontiers, termination of military assistance to the Greek Government and withdrawal of foreign troops from Greece, and the dissolution of UNSCOB. These proposals were rejected, on the grounds that already military operations were virtually concluded and that the resolution would in any case constitute an indefensible interference in the legitimate domestic concerns of the established Greek Government. The principal resolution adopted in the Assembly by a large majority (including New Zealand) reiterated the provisions of the resolution adopted the previous year, expressing the Assembly's concern at the continued furnishing of assistance to the guerrillas by Albania and Bulgaria in particular, calling upon those States and Yugoslavia to co-operate with Greece in the settlement of their disputes by peaceful means, and re-establishing UNSCOB. The Special Committee was instructed to " continue to be available to assist the four Governments concerned in the implementation of the Assembly's resolutions, in particular to promote the restoration of normal relations between Greece and her northern neighbours and the maintenance of international peace and security in the Balkans." The New Zealand delegation continued to support efforts by the United Nations and the International Red Cross to secure the repatriation of Greek children who had been transferred by the rebel forces to the territories of East European States to the north of Greece. The Assembly adopted without dissent a resolution urging the States concerned to co-operate with the International Red Cross in having the children returned to their homes. The most significant occurrence in the internal situation of Greece has been the conclusion of the civil war. In October, 1949, the rebel radio announced that the " Provisional Democratic Greek Government " had decided to cease military operations in order to " save Greece from destruction." There were indications also during March that the Yugoslav Government, who had earlier discontinued their assistance to the Greek rebels, might be prepared now to revert to normal diplomatic and good neighbourly relations with the Greeks. 4. Spain Special attention was given to the Spanish problem when it was re-examined in the United Nations. Two conflicting proposals were placed before the General Assembly. The first, submitted by a group of South American States, asked that the Assembly decide " without prejudice" to its 1946 resolution

(which recommended the withdrawal of Ambassadors from Spain and the exclusion of Spain from the specialized agencies of the United Nations) to leave member States full freedom of action in the conduct of their diplomatic relations with Spain. The second, submitted by Poland, called not only for compliance with the letter and spirit of the 1946 resolution, but also for an intensification of United Nations pressure on Spain. The New Zealand delegation took the view that nothing had happened since 1946 to justify a change of attitude or the alteration of the existing measures against the Franco regime. They accordingly voted against both resolutions, neither of which was adopted by the Assembly. Only a slender margin, however, prevented the approval of the motion modifying the 1946 resolution, and Mr. Acheson's recent indication that in future the United States, instead of abstaining, will vote in favour of modification, presents the possibility that the problem may reappear in a more acute form at the next session of the General Assembly. 5. Peace Settlements with Italy, Roumania, Bulgaria, and Hungary (a) Trieste A Soviet proposal for the appointment of Colonel Flueckiger, former Swiss Minister to Moscow, as Governor of the Free Territory of Trieste was again considered by the Security Council in May, 1949, and was rejected. There has been a certain realignment of the policies of the interested Powers on the disposition of the territory following the breach between Yugoslavia and the other Cominform countries. The Soviet Union has maintained pressure for the appointment of a Governor and the speedy entry into force of the Statute for the territory, to be followed by the withdrawal of troops. The other Powers concerned, however, agree that the treaty provisions concerning Trieste are unworkable and require revision. The United Kingdom, United States, and France, while standing by the Tripartite Declaration of 20 March, 1948, in favour of the return of the territory to Italy, are of the opinion that a settlement could best be achieved by agreement among the parties directly concerned. Although both the Yugoslav and Italian Governments have professed their desire for such a settlement, however, a basis for negotiation has not yet been found.

(b) Human Rights Clauses of the Treaties * Arising out of the trials of Church leaders in Bulgaria and Hungary, the question of the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms in those countries was placed on the agenda of the second part of the third session of the General Assembly. In supporting appropriate action by the Assembly, the New Zealand delegate, Sir Carl Berendsen, referred to the notes of protest already addressed to the Governments of Bulgaria and Hungary by the New Zealand Government, and affirmed the view that both by reference to the Charter and by virtue of the relevant clauses of the Peace treaties the question before the Assembly was a matter of international concern and one with which it was competent to deal. New Zealand supported the resolution, subsequently adopted by the Assembly on 30 April, 1949, which expressed concern at the accusations made regarding the suppression of human rights in Bulgaria and Hungary, and drew the attention of those States to their obligations under the treaties, including the obligation to co-operate in the settlement of these questions. Furthe? steps were taken during the year by the United Kingdom, United States, and other parties to the treaties, including New Zealand, to obtain satisfaction from the Governments concerned. In May, 1949, notes were sent to Bulgaria, Hungary, and Roumania giving notice to them that disputes had arisen concerning the interpretation and execution of the treaties, and stating that these disputes would be referred to the United Kingdom, United States, and Soviet Ambassadors in the States concerned in accordance with the procedure laid down in the treaties. This action was rejected by the Soviet Government, however, and accordingly, in August, the Western Governments took the next step available under the treaties, that of requesting that the disputes be referred to Commissions composed of representatives of the parties concerned and a third member selected by agreement from nationals of a third country. This step, with which New Zealand was associated, was also rejected by the three Balkan Governments, who continued to assert that the matters with which the Western States were concerned fell exclusively within the sphere of domestic jurisdiction and that, in their view, the alleged disputes were non-existent.

* For previous developments see annual report of Department of External Affairs, 1948-49, page 26 ; and report of New Zealand delegation to second part of third regular session of the General Assembly, page 35.

The question was again considered by that body at its fourth regular session,* which widened the item, at the proposal of the Australian delegation, to include the same question in relation to Roumania. The resolution finally adopted by the Assembly on 22 October, 1949, recorded the opinion that the refusal of the three Governments to co-operate in the Assembly's efforts to examine the charges against them justified its concern about the matter, and submitted certain questions to the International Court of Justice. Put shortly, these questions were whether the diplomatic exchanges between the parties disclosed the existence of disputes subject to the treaty provisions for settlement; whether Bulgaria, Hungary, and Roumania were obligated to carry out those provisions, including the provisions for appointment of representatives to the treaty Commissions; whether the Secretary-General of the United Nations could appoint a third member to a Commission if one party failed to do so ; and whether a Commission so constituted would be competent to make a definitive and binding decision in settlement of a dispute. Following the adoption of this resolution by the Assembly, the United Kingdom, United States, and Canadian Governments delivered notes, on 7 January, 1950, to the three Balkan Governments advising the nomination of their representatives to the proposed Commissions, and requesting the Balkan Governments to appoint their own representatives. On the same date the New Zealand Government issued a statement supporting this action by the United Kingdom and other Governments, and explaining that they themselves did not propose to appoint representatives to the Commissions. On 30 March, 1950, the International Court of Justice delivered an advisory opinion on the first two questions submitted to it by the Assembly. By 11 votes to 3 this opinion was that the diplomatic exchanges disclosed disputes which were subject to the treaty provisions, and that the Governments of Bulgaria, Hungary, and Roumania were under an obligation to carry out those provisions, including the provisions for the appointment of representatives to the Treaty Commissions. THE MIDDLE EAST Palestine (a) Conciliation The military phase of the Palestine conflict was formally brought to an end on 20 July, 1949, with the signing of the last of the armistice agreements —that between Israel and Syria. The Security Council,

* For a fuller account see report of New Zealand delegation to fourth regular session of General Assembly, 1949, page 40.

on 11 August, passed a resolution noting the conclusion of the agreements, calling upon the Governments and authorities concerned in Palestine to achieve further agreement on the questions outstanding between them, and relieving the Acting-Mediator of further responsibility. Meanwhile negotiations for a permanent settlement between Israel and the Arab States were proceeding, with the assistance of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine.* The Commission convened meetings at Lausanne commencing on 27 April, 1949, attended by delegations of Israel and the Arab States, and negotiations have been going on since that time at Lausanne and elsewhere. On 12 May, 1949, the Israel and Arab representatives signed separately with the Commission a protocol which provided a basis for discussions on the outstanding questions ; these fall under the principal heads of territorial settlements between Israel and the neighbouring Arab States, the resettlement of refugees, and the question of Jerusalem and the Holy Places. No formal agreement has been reached between the parties on any of these questions, although proposals advanced by each side have been examined and their positions are consequently more clearly defined. In general, the importance of the Commission's work has been that negotiations have continued and that it has provided the necessary stimulus and the machinery for keeping the parties in contact. It will continue to perform these functions during 1950. In the case of the most immediately urgent question, that of refugees, tension has to some extent been relieved by the action taken by the fourth session of the Assembly in providing direct relief assistance and establishing a Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees with a long-term rehabilitation programme. On the broad question of a permanent settlement, the Conciliation Commission's obligation was solely to render progress reports periodically to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for transmission to the Security Council and to member States (and .this it has done, having submitted four progress reports during the period under review). (b) Jerusalem In 1948 the Assembly had resolved that the Jerusalem area should be accorded special and separate treatment from the rest of Palestine and be placed under effective United Nations control, and had directed the Conciliation Commission to present to the fourth session detailed proposals for a permanent international regime. These terms of

* See annual report of Department of External Affairs for 1948-49, page 31.

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reference made no mention of acceptance of the proposals by the parties concerned, but the Commission made considerable efforts to reconcile opposing views. The differences between the parties on the issue were so great, however, that agreement was not possible. In general, the Arab States, with the exception of Jordan, took the position that the United Nations was bound to carry out strictly the provisions of the Assembly's 1947 resolution (adopted before the outbreak of the Palestine war), providing for the establishment of Jerusalem as an area of independent sovereignty, or corpus separatum, under the authority of a Governor appointed by the Trusteeship Council, and governed according to a Statute drawn up by that body. On the other hand, the Israel authorities, who were in actual control of part of the Jerusalem area, were opposed to the corpus separatum plan, and held the view that any international regime should be limited to functional control and protection of the Holy Places alone, and should not affect the sovereignty of the Jerusalem area as a whole. In the face of this disagreement, the Commission drew up and presented proposals providing for a compromise solution which attempted to take account of the existing situation. Briefly, the proposals were for an international regime under the control of a United Nations Commissioner, whose principal tasks would be to ensure protection of and free access to the Holy Places, to supervise the demilitarization of the Jerusalem area, and to provide for the safeguarding of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rights of distinctive groups in particular. Jerusalem was to be divided into a Jewish Zone and a Arab Zone along the existing armistice line, and the responsible authorities in the two zones were to deal with matters not reserved to the competence of the Commissioner. The Commission pointed out in explanation that the proposals did not envisage a separation of Jerusalem from the adjacent States, and that the Governments presently concerned with the administration of the area (Israel and Jordan) would retain the power of decision as to the political regime which should prevail in each part of the city. At the fourth regular session of the General Assembly* the Commission's proposals were supported by the United Kingdom, United States, and other delegations as offering a reasonable compromise solution, but they were rejected by Israel and the Arab States, and strongly opposed by a majority of other delegations who, for a variety of reasons, expressed vigorous support for the principle of a strict international regime and the establishment of a corpus

* For a fuller account of proceedings in the Assembly see report of New Zealand delegation, External Affairs Publication No. 89, page 62.

separatum. The Assembly finally adopted a modified version of an Australian draft proposal reaffirming support for the principle of the corpus separatum as set out in the General Assembly resolution of 1947 and placing the responsibility for its establishment upon the Trusteeship Council. The latter body was instructed to complete the preparation of the Statute of Jerusalem which it had drawn up in 1948, and to proceed immediately with its implementation. Among the States supporting this resolution, which was adopted by 39 votes to 14 with 7 abstentions, were representatives of the Arab, Latin American, and Soviet groups, and France and Belgium. The United Kingdom and the United States opposed the resolution. The New Zealand Government, although supporting the principle of an international regime, considered the resolution inadequate, and instructed its representative to abstain. In announcing his intention to abstain, Sir Carl Berensen stated that he would do so for the reason that the proposals contained no provision for implementation. Following the adoption of the resolution, announcements rejecting it were made by Israel and Jordan, the two States immediately concerned. In accordance with the resolution thus adopted by the Assembly, the Trusteeship Council took up the question at the commencement of its sixth session. A compromise proposal submitted by M. Garreau, the President, was felt by many members to be at variance with the Assembly resolution, and the Council decided unanimously, on 13 February, 1950, to proceed with the completion of the Jerusalem Statute. The Statute as redrafted was adopted on 5 April by 10 votes in favour (including New Zealand) with the United Kingdom abstaining. At the same time the Council adopted a resolution requesting the President to transmit the text of the Statute to the two occupying States (Israel and Jordan), with a request for their cooperation, and to report to the Council at its next session in June, 1950. (c) Palestine Refugees Relief and Works Agency As a result of the armed conflicts in Palestine between Israel and neighbouring Arab nations, almost one million people, mostly Arabs, fled from their homes. The United Nations invited Governments to make voluntary contributions in cash and in kind for their relief. New Zealand has contributed goods to the value of approximately £70,000, used for the supply of milk products, dehydrated vegetables, and assorted meat packs. At the last session of the United Nations General Assembly in December a resolution was passed setting up the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Its aim is to develop works and re-settle with a view to a permanent

solution, rather than relief alone. It is proposed that direct relief (in the form of gifts of food and clothing) should be terminated by the end of 1950. The figure envisaged for this direct relief is $20,200,000. Contemporaneously with this direct relief it is proposed that a programme of works, to provide employment, be developed at a cost of $13,500,000 in 1950, plus a further $21,200,000 in the first six months of 1951. AFRICA 1. Former Italian Colonies As the result of failure by the Council of Foreign Ministers to agree upon the disposal of the former Italian colonies—Libya, Eritrea, and Somaliland—the obligation of settling the destiny of these territories fell upon the General Assembly of the United Nations. In April-May, 1949, the Assembly devoted particular attention to a resolution embodying what has come to be known as the BevinSforza Compromise. This provided that the constituent parts of Libya—Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and the Fezzan —should be placed under the trusteeship of Italy, the United Kingdom, and France respectively. It provided also that Italy should be given trusteeship over Somaliland and that all Eritrea except the Western Province should be ceded to Ethiopia. In the final voting two key clauses of the resolution, dealing with the future of Tripolitania and Somaliland, failed to receive the necessary majority, and the resolution as a whole was ultimately heavily defeated. No alternative solution was acceptable, and it was decided to postpone further examination of the problem till the September Assembly. In September protracted discussion led finally to the acceptance by a large majority of a resolution containing the following provisions : (a) Libya would be constituted an independent and sovereign State by 1 January, 1952. In the meantime, the United Kingdom and France would continue to act as occupying powers and a United Nations Commissioner, aided by an advisory council of ten, would assist the people in drawing up a Constitution and establishing an independent Government. (b) Somaliland would become independent within ten years. Meanwhile Italy, aided by an advisory council of three, would act as administering authority and trustee Power. (/) Disposal of Eritrea would be considered by the fifth session of the General Assembly. Meanwhile a commission of three would visit Eritrea and report on the wishes of the people and the best means of promoting their welfare.

Considerable satisfaction has been expressed with these decisions, and the New Zealand delegation (which, in view of the wartime achievements of New Zealanders in Libya, had taken a special interest in the disposal of that territory) was among the few that were not convinced that they were good. In the opinion of the delegation, the resolution, though an improvement on the Bevin-Sforza Agreement (which New Zealand had supported with great misgivings), was still inadequate. In Libya, the delegation considered, the Assembly should " assist and not insist " ; therefore the manner and pace of attaining unity for the territory should not be arbitrarily determined by the United Nations, but should be left for the inhabitants to work out for themselves. They considered also that the provision for an advisory council of ten " back-seat drivers " was cumbersome and likely to create confusion and distrust. They were of the opinion, furthermore, that the proposal to grant trusteeship over Somaliland to Italy had been shown to be objectionable to the great majority of the Somali people, and that the benefits the territory would receive from an Italian trusteeship were not so obvious and so decisive that the wishes of the population should be set aside. Accordingly, New Zealand abstained from voting on the proposals relating to Libya and Somaliland and on the resolution as a whole. Since the Assembly's decision was taken, the Italian Trusteeship Agreement for Somaliland has been submitted to the Trusteeship Council and approved, and the change over of British and Italian administrations has been almost completed. In Libya the process of preparing the territory for its approaching independence has begun. As a result, interest within the Department has been directed particularly to the future destiny of Eritrea, the only ex-Italian territory in North Africa still awaiting disposal. The United Nations Commission of Investigation is at present touring Eritrea, and is to submit its report and recommendations to the Secretary-General by 15 June, 1950. 2. Indians in South Africa The New Zealand Government was once again faced with the painful obligation of witnessing a dispute between members of the Commonwealth, when the now familiar complaint of the Government of India concerning the treatment of Indians in South Africa was reconsidered by the General Assembly at its April session. The Indian delegation and its supporters repeated the charge that in South Africa persons of Indian origin were being subjected to policies of racial discrimination which, if allowed to go unchecked, were likely to lead to widespread international friction. Agreements between the two countries concerning the treatment of Indians had,

it was claimed, been violated and all previous racial persecution was now being exceeded in the pursuit of the policy of " Apartheid a policy of complete racial segregation intended to maintain European superiority. While denying that any of the human rights universally recognized as being fundamental had been or were being violated in South Africa, the South African delegation contended that the United Nations had no competence to consider the complaint, which, since the persons concerned were South African citizens, lay essentially within the jurisdiction of the Union. Most delegations took the view that the matter was not one essentially of domestic jurisdiction, because it concerned human rights and freedoms which the United Nations was bound to uphold, and because it has given rise to international discord. Obviously, they argued, the Assembly had competence to recommend measures for the peaceful adjustment of a situation likely to impair friendly relations among nations. The New Zealand delegation were of the opinion, however, that there was indeed reason to doubt whether the Assembly was competent to deal with the question. They considered that, in view of the considerable uncertainty concerning the actual scope and meaning of the relevant article of the Charter, it was the duty of the United Nations to resolve that uncertainty by referring the matter to the International Court of Justice for an opinion. The delegation announced accordingly that so long as this doubt persisted they would not support any resolution which sought to condemn or condone, or to pass any judgment upon the substance of the Indian complaint. The delegation finally supported a resolution (which was accepted by the Assembly) inviting the Governments of India, Pakistan and South Africa to discuss the problem at a round-table conference, taking into consideration the purposes and principles of the Charter and the universal declaration of human rights. 3. South-west Africa* In June, 1949, the Government of the Union of South Africa informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations that it had brought about a form of closer association between South-west Africa and the Union in which South-west Africa would enjoy a considerably greater measure of self-government than is enjoyed by the provinces of the Union. The statement added that the South African Government would no longer forward reports on the administration of South-west Africa. The Trusteeship Council at its fifth session decided to refer the question to the General Assembly,

* See 1948-49 report, page 66, for earlier developments.

since the refusal of the South African Government to submit further reports precluded the Council from exercising its function of examining and reporting upon the information supplied by the administering authority. Long and bitter debate on this question marked the proceedings of the Fourth Assembly. The resolution finally adopted, on which New Zealand abstained, called upon the Government of South Africa to resume the submission of reports to the General Assembly. It was also decided, however, to refer the question to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion, and New Zealand supported this course. The Court's sittings were set down for 16 May, 1950. THE UNITED NATIONS 1. General During the year chronicled in this report the work of the United Nations in most fields continued and even increased. There were signs, however, of a slowing down of the growth in the length and complexity of United Nations meetings described in this report last year. In contrast to the third session of the General Assembly, for instance, the fourth session succeeded in completing its work without paving to adjourn to the New Year; and a similar trend was noticeable in more recent meetings of the Economic and Social Council and other organs. To some extent, at least, this improvement may be ascribed to the development of better procedure, efficient chairmanship, and self-restraint among delegates. The United Nations had some successes during the year in its efforts to preserve peace. The transition of Indonesia to independence was successfully completed ; with the end of the civil war in Greece, the situation between that country and her northern neighbours was considerably eased ; the peace was kept between India and Pakistan in the dispute over Kashmir. In the humanitarian field, the United Nations made provision for the relief of Palestine refugees, and drew up a long-term plan for their rehabilitation. An agreement on a plan for technical assistance for under-developed countries was a milestone in the organization's efforts to better conditions in the more backward areas of the world. In the affairs of the United Nations as a whole, however, a new problem has arisen which could well effect a fundamental change in the character of the organization. The action of the Soviet Union at the beginning of 1950 in refusing to take part in any meetings where the Chinese Nationalist Government was represented has created the most serious crisis the organization has yet had to face. Whether or not this crisis is resolved in the near future, the Soviet boycott will have served to deepen the cleavage between East and

West, and thus weaken further the effectiveness of the United Nations as a world-wide organization for the preservation of peace. Although the Western Powers do not accept the Soviet view that decisions taken in United Nations organs during their absence are illegal, it is already apparent that in certain directions—for example, in the work of the Security Council Commissions on Atomic Energy and Conventional Armaments—little progress can be made in the present situation. In order to assist member States to arrive at a solution of this problem, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Trygve Lie, prepared and circulated a memorandum on its legal aspects, which was made public early in March. The memorandum drew a distinction between the individual act of recognition of a Government, and the collective act of admitting it to the United Nations. The Secretary-General's conclusion was that admission did not depend on prior recognition by individual States, and that, provided a Government fulfilled the requirements for membership set out in the Charter, it would be correct for members to vote for its admission to the United Nations, even though they had not accorded recognition to it. In the view of the Secretary-General, such a vote would not imply recognition or a readiness to assume diplomatic relations.* There were no significant changes in the organization of the United Nations, a key to which was given in last year's report, j The tendency to make less use of the Security Council, which was noted last year, became more evident. From April, 1949, to March, 1950, the Security Council held forty-eight meetings, ninety-eight less than in the previous twelve months. After adjourning in December, 1948, the General Assembly met again under the presidency of Dr H. V. Evatt (Australia) on 5 April, 1949, to complete the third session, which ended on 18 May. At the fourth session, which met from 20 September to 10 December, General Carlos P. Romulo, of the Philippines, was elected President. Ecuador, India, and Yugoslavia were elected to replace Argentina, Canada, and the Ukraine on the Security Council; Canada, Czechoslovakia, Iran, Mexico, and Pakistan were elected to the Economic and Social Council, replacing Byelorussia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Turkey, and Venezuela, and the United States was re-elected ; Mexico and Costa Rica were replaced on the Trusteeship Council by Argentina and the Dominican Republic, and Iraq was re-elected.

* Since the end of the period reviewed in this report the Secretary-General has -continued his efforts to bring about a solution of this and other major questions at issue in the United Nations. After discussing the situation personally with the heads of State of the United Kingdom, United States, France, and the Soviet Union, he has circulated to all members of the organization proposals for ending the "cold war" and settling •outstanding problems through the machinery provided by the United Nations, f External Affairs Publication No. 83 (pages 36-39).

i Of the principal organs of the United Nations, New Zealand is permanently a member of the General Assembly and the Trusteeship Council. Her three-year term as a member of the Economic and Social Council ended on 31 December, 1949. In the following summary, under broad subject divisions, of the main questions with which the organization has been concerned during the year, particular attention has been paid to the decisions of those organs in which New Zealand participated, and to the attitude taken by the New Zealand delegation. A fuller account of the work of the Assembly will, however, be found in the reports of New Zealand delegations on the sessions of that body.* 2. Maintenance of Peace and Security Political questions which have a geographical location are dealt with in the appropriation sections of this report; the following subjects fall into this category : Appointment of a Governor for the Free Territory of Trieste. Indonesia. Palestine. India-Paskistan Dispute. Greece. Korea. Disposal of Former Italian Colonies. Human Rights in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Roumania. A wide variety of more general questions was also considered. In the summary account which follows, the progress of each is traced through the various organs which have been seized of it during the year. The previous history of many of these questions may be found by reference to the corresponding section of last year's report. Atomic Energy Little progress has been made towards the establishment of international control of atomic energy. A resolution adopted by the Assembly in 1948 had requested the permanent members of the Atomic Energy Commission to consult together to determine whether a basis for agreement existed, and accordingly a series of closed meetings commenced in September, 1949. In January, 1950, however, the Soviet representative withdrew on the Chinese representation issue, and meetings have not been resumed.

* External Affairs Publications Nos. 82 (second part of third session) and 89 (fourth, session).

Disarmament The Assembly at its third session had asked that the Conventional Armaments Commission of the Security Council should give priority in its work to a plan for the publication by an international control organ of information to be supplied by member States with regard to armaments and armed forces. The Commission adopted French proposals for checking and publishing such information, and rejected a counter-proposal by the Soviet Union because of its failure to provide a satisfactory method of verification. The Commission's plan was vetoed by the Soviet Union in the Security Council. At its fourth session the Assembly approved of the Commission's plan, but noted that because of the lack of the necessary unanimity among the permanent members of the Security Council it could not be immediately proceeded with; the Assembly could do no more, therefore, than request that the work of the Conventional Armaments Commission be proceeded with, " in order to make such progress as may be possible." New Zealand supported this resolution, and joined with the majority in rejecting a Soviet proposal linking this question with the publication of information on atomic weapons. The Conventional Armaments Commission is among those bodies boycotted by the Soviet Union because of its failure to admit a Chinese Communist representative. Peace Proposals As part of a world-wide " peace campaign," by no means confined to the United Nations, the Soviet Union at the Fourth Assembly introduced a resolution entitled " Condemnation of the Preparations for a New War, and Conclusion of a Five Power Pact for the Strengthening of Peace." The resolution, after condemning the "" warlike preparations " of the United States and United Kingdom and calling for measures to prohibit the atomic weapon and control atomic energy, requested the five Great Powers to conclude a peace pact. It was described by the New Zealand representative as a <c phony " resolution, designed not to be acted on but solely to serve as propaganda. This view was also accepted by the Assembly, 53 of whose members voted against the resolution. In its place a twelvepoint proposal entitled " Essentials of Peace" was adopted by a large majority. This resolution called on every nation to refrain from aggression or action aimed at fomenting civil strife ; to honour its international undertakings ; to respect human rights, including the exercise of religious freedom; and to remove barriers to the free exchange of information and ideas.

Interim Committee of the General Assembly* One of the main functions of this Committee is to consider such matters as the Assembly may refer to it for study between sessions. The Committee was not called upon to exercise this function between the Third and Fourth Assemblies—the interval in any case being very short—but was given two tasks by the Fourth Assembly:— (1) To keep the situation in China under continuous review, and report to the Assembly or the Security Council any interference in Chinese affairs by a foreign Power. (2) To report to the Fifth Assembly on the procedure to be adopted for the delimitation of the boundaries of the former Italian colonies. It continued also to study methods for the promotion of international co-operation in the political field. Against Soviet opposition, the Assembly re-established the Committee for an indefinite term. Admission of New Members Israel was admitted to membership of the United Nations on 11 May, 1949, New Zealand voting in favour. New applications received during the year from the Korean Republic and Nepal were vetoed by the Soviet Union in the Security Council. A letter of application was also received from the " Democratic People's Republic " of Korea, but the Council decided not to consider it. The Security Council reconsidered the applications of Austria, Ceylon, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Portugal, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Mongolia, and Roumania. The Soviet Union proposed that all twelve be admitted, and Argentina put forward individual draft resolutions in favour of the first seven. The United Kingdom and United States intimated that they would be unable to vote for the remaining five (Communist) States —although they would not veto applications which received seven affirmative votes —and pressed for separate consideration of the applications. The twelve applications were voted on separately, the first seven being vetoed by the Soviet Union and the remainder failing to receive the requisite number of affirmative votes. The Soviet proposal to admit all twelve was also rejected. In his annual report, issued in August, 1949, the Secretary-General came out in favour of admitting all the applicants. In his view, the objections raised against their admission could be better dealt with inside the organization than outside it.

* The origin and functions of this Committee ate described in the annual report for 1947-48, pages 54, 55.

The Fourth Assembly did not accept this view, and rejected a Soviet resolution along the lines of that put forward in the Security Council. Once again resolutions were adopted recommending to the Security Council the, admission of the seven non-Communist candidates listed above, together with the Korean Republic and Nepal. On the initiative of the Argentine, the Assembly also decided to ask the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the question whether a State could be admitted to membership by the Assembly without a favourable recommendation from the Security Council. In March, 1950, the Court delivered its opinion, which was in the negative. The Security Council had not, at the end of March, taken up the recommendations of the Assembly. Voting in the Security Council Proposals designed to minimize the use of the veto in the Security Council had been adopted in Committee at the first part of the Third Assembly session, and came up for confirmation in plenary at the second part of the session. The occasion was seized on by the Eastern European States to make a bitter attack on regional security arrangements, particularly the Atlantic Pact. For New Zealand, Sir Carl Berendsen declared that, while the Committee's proposals showed a trend in the right direction, there could never be an effective system of collective security while a veto remained even on enforcement measures. Every one knew that the voluntary arrangements suggested would not be agreed to, but substantial support by the Assembly would show its sense of extreme disquiet at the state to which the United Nations had been brought by the use and abuse of the veto. The Committee's resolution was adopted, and a Soviet resolution calling for a reconfirmation of the principle of unanimity was rejected by a substantial majority. In the Security Council the veto was subsequently used twice by the Soviet Union to prevent the admission of candidates for membership of the United Nations. International Co-operation in the Political Field At the second part of its third session the Assembly adopted proposals put forward by the Interim Committee for the revival of the General Act of 26 September, 1928, for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, the establishment of special conciliation procedures by the General Assembly and the Security Council, and the creation of a panel of highly qualified persons from which

members of commissions of inquiry and conciliation might be selected. New Zealand, having some doubts of its practical value, abstained in the vote on the last of these proposals. The Interim Committee is continuing its long-term study of this question. United Nations Field Service A modification of proposals made by the Secretary-General for the establishment of a guard force to assist United Nations Missions in the field was submitted to the Fourth Assembly. The revised scheme envisaged the establishment of a permanent Field Service of 300 men, together with a panel of Field Observers, who would be called for service only as a result of an Assembly or Security Council decision. It was contended by Eastern European States that the proposed Field Service was illegal, since in their view only the Security Council could recruit armed forces. The majority, however, including New Zealand, considered that the Secretary-General had ample power to establish such a unit, which indeed represented little more than a reorganization of services already existing within the Secretariat. On the other hand, New Zealand doubted the value of establishing a panel of field observers who—like the panel of inquiry and conciliation referred to in the previous section —might not be available when required. Considering, therefore, that it would be . preferable for the Secretary-General to apply to Governments for observers for specific tasks, New Zealand abstained on the second proposal. Both were, however, adopted. 3. Economic and Social Questions (a) General During the period under review, economic and social questionswere discussed at two sessions of the General Assembly, at the ninth session of the Economic and Social Council during July-August,. 1949, and at the tenth session during February-March, 1950. The ninth session marked the end of New Zealand's three-year term of membership of the Council. In reporting on the ninth session, the New Zealand representative, Mr James Thorn, whohad been unanimously elected to the Presidency of the Council for 1949, claimed that for various reasons " this session of the Council has accomplished more than any other session with which the New Zealand delegation has been associated, and I think it may be said more than any of the sessions held so far." The large number of substantive economic and social items dealt with has been a feature of both the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly during the period.

At the second part of the third session of the General Assembly the principal question considered in this field was freedom of information. Of the three conventions originally drafted by the 1947 Conference on Freedom of Information—namely, the Conventions on Gathering and International Transmission of News, the Right of Correction, and Freedom of Information—the first had been redrafted by the Economic and Social Council. The Assembly, however, set out to re-examine all three article by article. It was decided to amalgamate the first and second conventions, thus embodying within the one instrument the rights of correspondents to gather and to transmit news and the rights of Governments to submit to any State from whose territory false or distorted reports have been disseminated a correcting communique, which that State is required to release to correspondents and information agencies operating within its territory. This amalgamation represented a substantial change, implying as it did that no Government could secure the right of correction without at the same time extending to correspondents the facilities included in the Convention for Gathering and Transmission of News. The amalgamated convention is now known as the Convention on International Transmission of News and the Right of Correction. The Assembly was unable to complete its consideration of the draft Convention on Freedom of Information at the third session. When it was taken up again at the fourth session, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States proposed further postponement. The United Kingdom, as the author of the original draft, explained that it was not intended to abandon the possibility of having a convention. However, previous discussion had revealed widely divergent views, particularly on the extent to which exceptions to the general principle of freedom of information should be allowed, and on whether organs of information should be subject to governmental control. The Commission on Human Rights should be asked to work out the basic principles of freedom of information and include them in the draft International Covenant on Human Rights on which it was engaged : agreement on such general principles would provide a firmer foundation on which to work out a detailed convention. This proposal was accepted by the Assembly. As a result of the delay the completed Convention on the International Transmission of News and the Right of Correction has not yet been opened for signature. The most important question in the economic and social field discussed during the fourth session of the General Assembly was the expanded programme of technical assistance.

The provision of technical assistance as a practical means of promoting the economic development of under-developed countries has. been progressively extended over recent years. In December, 1948, the Assembly set aside $228,000 for a programme of technical assistance for economic development during 1949. This sum provided for sixty fellowships to enable technical experts from under-developed countries to obtain overseas experience, and for a number of field missions to survey the economies of selected under-developed countries. Then in January, 1949, the President of the United States called for a "bold new. programme for making the benefits of our scientific advances and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of under-developed areas." Such a programme, he said, should be developed on a co-operative basis with other countries willing to participate and, whenever practicable, should be organized through the United Nations and its specialized agencies. At its eighth session the Economic and Social Council considered the idea in a preliminary way, the United States delegate having indicated that, under President Truman's proposal, this expanded programme would be financed outside the normal United Nations Budget. The Council requested the Secretary-General, in conjunction with the specialized agencies, to prepare a comprehensive programme of technical assistance. After considering the SecretaryGeneral's report in detail at its ninth session, the Council submitted a draft resolution for the Assembly's consideration. This draft resolution provided for an expanded programme of technical assistance, to be financed out of a special account; it requested the Secretary-General to set up a Technical Assistance Board representing, at the Secretariat level, the United Nations and those specialized agencies which co-operated in the programme; it authorized the establishment of a standing Technical Assistance Committee, consisting of all members of the Economic and Social Council, to supervise the work of the Technical Assistance Board; and, finally, it authorized the Secretary-General to call a Technical Assistance Conference, which would ascertain how much participating Governments were prepared to contribute during the first year, and allot the available funds to the various organizations assisting in the programme. All delegates who took part in the debate supported the Council's proposals as being both comprehensive and a workable compromise. The representatives of nineteen countries, including New Zealand, declared the intention of their Governments to contribute at an appropriate time to the special account to be established.

At the ninth session of the Economic and Social Council the question of full employment was debated at length. A draft resolution on unemployment and full employment submitted by the World Federation of Trade Unions was rejected by a large majority because of its inconsistency and tendentious wording. The Council decided to ask the Secretary-General, firstly, to appoint a small group of experts to prepare a report on measures required to achieve full employment, and secondly, to publish up-to-date reports on measures being taken in various countries to achieve and maintain high levels of employment. On the initiative of Australia, the question of promoting full employment was included on the - agenda of the Fourth Assembly. After a long discussion the Assembly adopted a resolution recommending " that each Government consider, as a matter of urgency, its international responsibility under Articles 55 and 56 of the Charter to take action, as the need arises, designed to promote and maintain full and productive employment." It was also decided to review the world economic situation again at the next Assembly. In January, 1950, the report on " National and International Measures for Full Employment" requested by the Council was released. In this report a group of five independent experts agreed that there was no reason to believe that full employment would be attained automatically, but that its attainment and maintenance required sustained action to maintain demand. They pointed out that fluctuations in demand within an important economy were normally transmitted to others, so that international trade was threatened by the failure of some countries to pursue full employment and of others to curb inflation. Therefore, although no uniform policy could be laid down which all countries should follow, all should ensure that action to offset fluctuations was prepared in advance so that it could come into effect without delay when events showed that action was needed. The experts then suggested measures which each Government should take internally to promote full employment and also recommended that Governments should cooperate to devise measures to eliminate the present disequilibrium in world trade, to promote a steady flow of investment to underdeveloped countries, and to prevent unemployment being " exported " from one country to another. This report has since been discussed by the Economic and Employment Commission and the tenth session of the Council. It was agreed to commend the report to Governments for detailed consideration, and members of the Council are to be prepared to express their considered views on the proposals, and to submit any alternative proposals they may have for solving the problems with which the report is concerned, at the eleventh session in July, 1950.

At the request of the Polish delegation an item entitled " Discrimination against Immigrant l^abour" was included on the Assembly agenda. The representitive of Poland submitted a draft resolution which declared that many States discriminated against immigrant labour (" particularly labour recruited from the ranks of refugees and displaced persons ") and that such workers were subject to " particularly intense exploitation at the hands of employers." These charges were denied by the representatives of the countries concerned, and counter-charges were made that political refugees from Eastern Europe had created part of the migration problem of Western Europe. It was further pointed out that this problem of migration was the concern of several international organizations ; the International Labour Organization had drawn up a convention and recommendation covering every aspect of the question. The United Kingdom representative accordingly introduced a draft resolution which made provision for transmitting the records of the Committee's discussion to that organization, with a request that it expedite the adoption and observance of the convention on the subject. After rejecting the Polish proposal the Assembly adopted this resolution. On the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council the Fourth Assembly placed on a continuing basis, with regular provision in each annual Budget of the United Nations (for 1950, $675,000), the Advisory Social Welfare Services taken over from UNRRA in 1946 and since continued from year to year. This Assembly also adopted a revised Convention for the Suppression of Traffic in Persons and the Prevention of the Prostitution of Others, originally drafted by the Social Commission. At its eighth session the Economic and Social Council had adopted a resolution instructing the Secretary-General to enter into consultation with the Director-General of the International Labour Organization on the question of enforcement of trade-union rights (freedom of association). The Secretary-General presented to the ninth session of the Council a detailed report on these consultations, including a summary of the relevant provisions in the ILO constitution, the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the draft International Covenant on Human Rights, the various trusteeship argeements, and the peace treaties. The Soviet Union proposed that the Council should set up a Commission for the protection of trade-union rights composed of three to five members of the Council and one representative each from the International Labour Organization, the World Federation of Trade Unions, the Latin American Federation of Labour, and the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions. The United States and United Kingdom tabled a joint resolution which requested

the International Labour Organization to proceed on behalf of the United Nations with the establishment of a Fact-finding and Conciliation Commission on Freedom of Association as described in a resolution of the ILO Governing Body adopted at its one hundredth and ninth session. The New Zealand delegation supported this proposal, which, in its opinion, gave proper recognition to the responsibilities of the International Labour Organization as the specialized agency having competence in this field. The delegation also stressed the constitutional powers of that organization in dealing with infringements of the principle of freedom of association, even though any convention •dealing with this subject might not have been ratified. The Soviet proposal and a compromise French proposal were rejected by the Council as not giving proper recognition to the role of the International Labour Organization, and the United Kingdom - United States proposal was adopted by a large majority. Comprehensive studies prepared by the Secretariat on the position of Stateless persons and refugees were submitted to the ninth session •of the Economic and Social Council. The problems before the Council were to make provision for the protection, normally given by the State to its nationals, of specific classes of persons such as refugees who were for practical purposes stateless, and to try to plan international action which would improve the status of refugees and stateless persons and obviate cases where persons become stateless through conflicts in nationality laws. The first of these problems was made urgent by the impending dissolution of the International Refugee Organization. The SecretaryGeneral was asked to prepare a plan for an organization within the framework of the United Nations to discharge the functions of international protection of refugees, and in December the Fourth Assembly of the United Nations approved the establishment of a High Commissioner's Office for Refugees as from 1 January, 1951. The High Commissioner's functions will be to ensure continuing protection of refugees, the administrative costs of the Office being borne by the United Nations. All other costs of providing assistance to refugees are for the present to be financed by voluntary contributions. To deal with the second problem the Council appointed an ad hoc Committee on Statelessness and Related Problems. The report of this Committee was distributed in March, 1950, and will be submitted to the Economic and Social Council at its eleventh session. At its ninth session the Economic and Social Council renewed its discussions on forced labour. The United States suggested that the Council should proceed to appoint an impartial commission

of inquiry consisting of eleven members. The Soviet Union revived their counter-proposal for a comprehensive international commission of some 110 to 125 members—a proposal which made no provision for on-the-spot investigations. It was noted in the discussions that replies had not been received from all Governments to inquiries sent out by the Secretariat and that only twelve countries had agreed to an unconditional investigation of the situation. Approximately thirty countries were prepared, however, to co-operate in an inquiry. The Council finally adopted a resolution which deferred immediate action and instructed the Secretary-General to request Governments which had not yet stated that they would be prepared to co-operate in an inquiry to consider whether they could do so. At its tenth session the Council postponed further consideration of the contemplated inquiry until its twelfth session in February, 1951. Representatives of thirty-one nations attended a conference convened in New York on 15 March, 1950, to conclude a multilateral convention on the declaration of death of missing persons. New Zealand was not represented. The calling of this conference was preceded by almost two years' study of the legal and other problems caused by the disappearance without trace of thousands of people through mass deportation, persecution, and hostilities in the last war. Absence of formal proof of death, for example, often means that heirs cannot establish title to the property of missing persons, while a surviving husband or wife cannot marry. The need for co-ordinating procedures for the declaration of death was brought to the notice of the Economic and Social Council in 1948 by the Preparatory Commission of the IRO and a draft convention was prepared by a special committee. In view of the technical and legal character of the proposed convention and the urgency of the problem, the Council referred the draft convention directly to the General Assembly, which, at its fourth session, decided to submit it to member States and to call an international conference. (b) Functional Commissions of the Economic and Social Council Social Commission The fourth and fifth sessions of the Social Commission were held in May and December, 1949, under the chairmanship of the New Zealand representative (Dr W. B. Sutch). At the ninth session of the Economic and Social Council, New Zealand was elected to membership of the Commission for a second term of three years.

The greater part of the fourth session was devoted to clause-by-clause drafting of the Convention for the Suppression of Traffic in Persons, later adopted by the Assembly. The Commission also recommended to the Economic and Social Council that the Advisory Social Welfare Services taken over by the United Nations from UNRRA in 1946, and continued on a year-to-year basis, should be incorporated as a permanent service in the United Nations Budget. These services have been much sought after by countries in need of assistance in the development of social welfare programmes. The fifth session was largely taken up with the preparation of a long-term work programme covering a wide field of subjects in the social welfare field. Among other things, the programme envisages a reference and information centre on housing and town and country planning within the United Nations Secretariat. The Commission adopted recommendations, submitted by a group of experts on the prevention of crime and treatment of offenders, for inquiry by the United Nations into such subjects as juvenile delinquency, probation, and criminal statistics. Each year the United Nations Secretariat publishes a comprehensive report covering the activities of member Governments in connection with family, youth, and child welfare. The Commission has adopted for special study in 1950 projects on the care of homeless children, the protection of the family against loss of income through sickness, and the preparation of a Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Some thought was given to continuance of certain aspects of the child care at present undertaken by UNICEF. The SecretaryGeneral has been instructed to prepare a report, in consultation with the Executive Board of UNICEF, the Social Commission, and the specialized agencies concerned, on the best means of ensuring that the continuing needs of children throughout the world are provided for. After considering the report of a Conference of International Workers for the Blind held at Oxford during 1949, the Commission instructed its Secretariat to report on measures which the United Nations can undertake to assist member Governments in developing welfare services for physically handicapped persons. Fiscal Commission The report of the second session of the Fiscal Commission was considered at the ninth session of the Economic and Social Council, where some criticism of the Commission's work was expressed by a number of delegates. The Soviet Union proposed that the Commission should be dissolved, but this was not acceptable to the other

delegations. It was noted that the Commission was making an important contribution by giving practical advice on the establishment of sound fiscal systems in under-developed countries. At the Fourth Assembly the Budgetary Committee rejected the appropriation for the meeting of the Commission projected for 1950. Human Rights Commission The preparation of a Bill of Human Rights has been, and remains, the principal task of the Commission of Human Rights. It is recognized that the completion of this work involves three principal steps —the preparation of an agreed statement of the basic human rights and freedoms, the formulation of these principles in a covenant which creates obligations legally binding upon States, and the adoption of machinery provisions which will ensure that the provisions of the covenant are observed. The adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the General Assembly in December, 1948, has marked the completion of the first step. The Human Rights Commission, meeting at New York in May and June, 1949, was thus free to devote its attention to revising earlier drafts of the covenant in the light of the comments submitted by Governments. The work of the Commission has emphasized the difficulties of formulating the principles of the Declaration in a manner capable of precise legal application. For this reason the Commission has deferred consideration of those human rights which relate primarily to economic and social matters. Such principles as the right to work, to leisure, and to education are not embraced in the present draft of the covenant. It is intended that these and similar rights should be dealt with in a separate instrument, to be drawn up after work upon the present covenant is completed. The Commission has, however, included in its draft those principles which enunciate the fundamental liberties of the individual. These principles include the rights to life, to liberty of movement, to freedom of speech, assembly, and association, and to equality before the law. In formulating these provisions the Commission has attempted to strike a balance between the need for concise statement and the necessity for establishing clearly defined standards. The wide divergences among the various legal systems have added to the complexity of this problem. The Commission did not reach any decision as to whether or not provision should be made in the covenant itself to ensure that the rights which it establishes are respected. This question of implementation, together with the revised draft of the covenant, has been referred to Governments, and will again be considered at the 1950 meeting of the Commission.

Sub-Commission on Freedom of Information and of the Press At its eighth session the Economic and Social Council extended the life of this Sub-Commission for a further three years, and at its third session held in June, 1949, the Sub-Commission adopted itsfuture programme of work. This programme, whose object is to find means of increasing the flow of news and information, includes a comparative study of constitutional provisions, national legislation, and administrativepractices relating to the dissemination of news. Special consideration will be given the training and status of journalists, the definition of their obligations and responsibilities, and the improvement of professional standards. All member Governments have been requested to furnish particulars of the operation in their countriesof the press, broadcasting, and newsreel enterprises. Transport and Communications Commission At its fourth session held in March, 1950, this Commission discussed' a number of important problems. The Commission recommended that, until the International Trade Organization begins to function, Governments be urged to proceed' with national measures for the simplification of Customs and related formalities, which in some countries constitute a formidable barrier" to the international transport of goods. It was recommended also in this connection that, wherever possible, Governments should apply the Standards and Recommended Practices on the Facilitation of International Air Transport drawn up by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The Commission agreed that problems such as the unification of tonnage measurement and the pollution of sea-water by oil must be solved on an international basis by the Intergovernmental MaritimeConsultative Organization when it is established. The Commission urged all Governments to do everything possible to ensure the speedy establishment of this agency. It was considered that study of the problem of co-ordination of inland transport should be continued and that regional economic commissions should be asked to forward further reports on theparticular problems of their own areas. The Commission alsorequested the appointment of a group of experts to draft a convention embodying a common world-wide system of road signs and signals. At the same time, the Commission noted with approval that a convention on motor transport with a protocol of road signs and signals,, based on the European as opposed to the American system, wasnow open for acceptance.

Ecomonic and Employment Commission This Commission, at the fourth session in May, 1949, decided to recommend to the Economic and Social Council that its two SubCommissions, one on Economic Development, and the other on Employment and Economic Stability, should be abolished and that the Commission should rely for assistance on the United Nations Secretariat, strengthened, if necessary, by the appointment of experts to perform specific tasks. New Zealand favoured the immediate abolition of the Sub-Commissions, but the Economic and Social Council at its ninth session decided to postpone action until the eleventh session in July, 1950. In the meantime the Council requested the Commission to examine the report being prepared by a group of experts on " National and International Measures for Full Employment" and to submit its comments and recommendations for action to the Council at its tenth session. Accordingly the fifth session of the Commission held in January, 1950, was devoted mainly to a preliminary consideration of this report. 'Population Commission In April, 1949, the fourth session of the Population Commission reviewed progress on a large number of specialized problems, including the interrelationship of economic, social, and population changes. The Commission decided to give priority to the study of this problem and to the improvement of migration statistics. In the Economic and Social Council the New Zealand delegation obtained an assurance that proper liaison was being maintained by the Commission with the Trusteeship Council in connection with population studies in trust territories. The first issue of the Demographic Yearbook, published in September, 1949, contains a comprehensive collection of population and vital statistics relating to every country of the world from which official data were available. Statistical Commission The fourth session of the Statistical Commission, held in April, 1949, reviewed its work in the following fields : co-ordination of statistical activities, development of national statistics, comparability of statistics, and such specialized studies as balance of payments statistics and family budget inquiries and cost-of-living statistics. The Commission suggested that further studies be made of the statistical deficiencies of under-developed territories and possible remedial measures.

During the year the Commission has continued its work in the development of international standard classification of statistics and has examined the problems involved in the establishment of international standards for indices of industrial production and prices. Work has continued on the preparation of a Minimum List of Commodities for International Trade Statistics to assist in the classification of commodities. In the operational field the Commission has continued to assist and advise Governments in preparations for the 1950 world census, and measures have been undertaken to facilitate and encourage the wider use of statistical sampling methods. Commission on Narcotic Drugs The Commission on Narcotic Drugs held its fourth session in May, 1949, and recommended that a Commission of Inquiry should make a survey of the effects of the chewing of the coca leaf in South America. The Commission of Inquiry spent some months in carrying out intensive investigations and compiling a report for presentation to the fifth session of the Commission. At its fourth session the Commission also decided to prepare a single consolidated convention to replace eight existing international instruments relating to the control of narcotic drugs. Consideration was also given to a proposed interim agreement to limit the production of opium to medical and scientific needs. When the main producing countries, excluding the Soviet Union, met at Ankara in November, 1949, to discuss this proposal, it was found that the questions of fixing a price for opium and the setting up of machinery to carry out the proposed agreement would require extensive study. During the year the Commission carried on its normal work of reviewing annual reports made by' Governments under various conventions, investigating illicit traffic, and supervising the trade in certain dangerous drugs. (c) 'Economic Commission for A.sia and the Far East (ECA.FE) A Committee of the Whole which met at Bangkok in the period March-April, 1949, outlined an extensive programme of future work and established a Committee on Industry and Trade to intensify the Commission's activity in those fields. Although some progress had been made when the fifth plenary session of the Commission assembled at Singapore in October, a number of the projects under action had not been completed and in many cases the session had to content itself with reviewing the work that had been done and redirecting future programmes where necessary.

The fifth session had before it four applications for associate membership. Two were from the competing regimes in Vietnam and two from the Governments occupying the divided territory of Korea. Decisions were taken, in the course of the session, to admit the State of Vietnam (headed by Bao Dai) and the Republic of Korea, while the applications of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (headed by Ho Chi Minh) and of the " People's Democratic Republic " of Korea were rejected. New Zealand supported the majority decision in each instance. The Committee on Industry and Trade received the report of the ;jfirst meeting of the Sub-committee on Iron and Steel, which was closely linked with a further study on resources of raw materials. The Committee authorized a survey of the laboratory and research facilities in the countries of the region, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. Only minor success had been achieved in preparing a report on the priorities and progress in industrial development projects, owing largely to the paucity of information made available by member countries. It was agreed, however, that countries desiring assistance in drawing up development schemes should be permitted to consult with the Secretariat. Endorsement was given to the work of the Trade Promotion Section and a progress report on trade with Japan was circulated. A study has since been begun of the development of trade between Japan and countries of the region, and an attempt is being made to ascertain the possibilities of expanding Japan's production of capital goods for export in exchange for food and raw materials. The Committee of the Whole had authorized the establishment of a Working Group on Travel Facilities. A detailed set of recommendations designed to promote the freer movement of tourists, traders, and students in the area was adopted by the fifth session of the Commission. Subsequently, and at the request of the Commission, the New Zealand Government agreed to the secondment for a limited period of time of a travel consultant from the New Zealand Department of Tourist and Health Resorts to assist those countries of the region which desire to initiate or improve their national tourist services. The Food and Agriculture Organization has maintained liaison with ECAFE through a regional office in Bangkok, and attention has been directed to the problems of investment for agricultural development and of financing imports of farm machinery and requisites.

Other specialized agencies have also co-operated in the work of the Commission. A joint ECAFE/UNESCO working party hasbeen set up to consider means of increasing the availability of educational, scientific, and cultural materials in the region, and the ILO' Asian Field Office on Technical Training, which has assumed responsibility for direct negotiations with countries of the region on the subject of technical training, has undertaken, jointly with ECAFE, to prepare a report on " Fields of Economic Development Handicapped by the Lack of Trained Personnel." Technical assistance has become one of the most important subjects to be dealt with by the Commission. New Zealand strongly supported Ceylon in a move designed to secure the application of the United Nations Technical Assistance Programme to certain associate member countries which, although responsible for their own international relations, have not been admitted to membership of the United Nations. The role, if any, that ECAFE will fulfil in the administration of the Technical Assistance Programme has not yet been determined, but this question has been taken up with the Economic and Social Council. The scope of the annual Economic Survey of Asia and the Far East is being progressively widened. A regional conference of statisticians will be convened with the task of improving the collection and analysis of statistics in the countries concerned. The major economic problems facing the countries of the region are the need for an increased food supply, an expansion in trade, and industrialization in the under-developed countries. ECAFE is assisting in measures designed to increase the availability of essential materials (particularly those related to primary industry), facilitating trade exchanges and currency clearing arrangements, and helping member countries with their industrial development schemes whenever this is possible. (d) United Nations International Children's "Emergency Fund (UNICEF) During March, 1950, Mr Maurice Pate, Executive Director of UNICEF, visited New Zealand and conveyed the appreciation of the Fund and of the recipient countries for the contributions made by New Zealand both by direct Government grant and through the United Nations appeal for children held in New Zealand during 1948. Following Mr Pate's visit, the Prime Minister announced that it had been decided to make a further contribution of £lOO,OOO to the Fund. This amount is subject to a matching contribution from the United States Government of $2.57 for each dollar equivalent contributed, and the Fund will, as a result, receive total additional resources to the value of $989,721.

Up to January, 1950, thirty-eight Governments had contributed nearly $100,000,000 to the Fund, which also received $32,000,000 from the residual assets of UNRRA and $11,000,000 by way of voluntary contributions through the United Nations appeals for children. The Fund is controlled by a twenty-six member Executive Board, of which the New Zealand representative is first Vice-Chairman. UNICEF at present operates in fifty-four countries of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The form of assistance varies from country to country. For instance, in most of the European countries the Fund's help is being given in large part to child feeding programmes, whereas in the Asian programme the emphasis is on child health projects and in Latin America on child health and demonstration feeding. Aid, largely in the form of food and blankets, is being provided for half a million mothers and children among the Arab refugees in the Palestine area. A separate programme is being undertaken in Israel to cope with children's needs arising out of the large-scale Jewish immigration. In Europe, feeding programmes are operating for some six million ■children and pregnant and nursing mothers. For these programmes the Fund is supplying milk and fats and cod-liver oil, and in some instances meat, sugar, and dried fruits for a daily supplementary meal. Other assistance includes medical supplies and equipment, raw materials for manufacture into children's clothing, and training •opportunities for children specialists. A number of countries are also receiving milk-processing equipment, not locally available, to be used in the construction of milk-conservation plants. In the health field the most important activity undertaken by UNICEF is B.C.G. anti-tuberculosis vaccination. Programmes have been completed in Czechoslovakia, Finland, and Hungary, are under way in Austria, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Yugoslavia, and are about to start in Malta. By January, 1950, some ten million children had already been given this protection. 4. Trusteeship and Non-self-governing Territories (a) Trusteeship The Trusteeship Council meets normally twice a year. The fifth session was held at Lake Success during June and July, 1949, the sixth at Geneva from January to April, 1950. The New Zealand Permanent Delegate to the United Natipns, Sir Carl Berendsen, opposed the move to Geneva because of the inconvenience and expense for small States of servicing meetings in Geneva as well as in New York. However, the majority were in favour of holding a session in Geneva, mainly because of the advantage afforded to European members of the Council. The Soviet Union did not

participate in the work of the Trusteeship Council at its sixth session,, as it objected to the presence of a representative of the National Government of China. New Zealand representatives have taken a full part in the deliberations of the Trusteeship Council and of the General Assembly in regard to trusteeship matters. Little attention was devoted at these meetings to Western Samoa, as the annual report on the territory was not before the Council at its fifth and sixth sessions. However, although the discussions were focussed almost entirely on the trust territories in Africa, several representatives of nonadministering Powers paid tributes in the Assembly to the work which had been carried out in Western Samoa by the New Zealand Government. The only criticism of conditions in Western Samoa came from the Eastern European States. The General Assembly having entrusted to the Trusteeship Council the task of negotiating with Italy the terms of a trusteeship agreement for Italian Somaliland, a special session was accordingly convened in December, 1949. A second item was added to the agenda by the decision of the General Assembly to assign to the Council responsibility for implementing a plan for the establishment of an international administration in Jerusalem. Italian Somaliland, Jerusalem, and South-west Africa are dealt with in the relevant geographical sections of this report. Other important problems considered during the year were : Examination of Annual Reports on Trust Territories At its fifth session the Council examined the annual reports on the administration of Nauru, New Guinea, and the strategic territory of the Pacific islands under United States administration, and reconsidered the report to the General Assembly on Togoland under French administration which had been deferred from the previous session. At the sixth session the Council examined reports on Tanganyika, Ruanda Urundi, and the Cameroons under British and under French administration. Consideration of reports on the two Togolands and Western Samoa was deferred until the seventh session to be held in June, 1950. General saisfaction was expressed by the delegates at the progress made in each of the territories under review, but some delegates, especially the Soviet delegate, were particularly critical of the administration of the territories. In each case the Council made constructive suggestions for the advancement of the territory concerned.

Examination of Petitions At its fifth session the Council examined nineteen petitions from individuals or groups applying for redress of personal complaints or general grievances. Most of the petitions came from the African trust territories, the Council referring some of these to the Visiting Mission to West Africa. At its sixth session the Council dealt with more than 150 petitions, mostly from the African trust territories. Of these the most important •concerned the ownership of Bakweri land in the Cameroons, the Ewe tribe in Togoland, the Bugufi tribe in Ruanda Urundi, and the Chagga Tribe in Tanganyika. The number of petitions has increased to such an extent that the Council established at Lake Success a Committee to examine the possibility of a change in procedure. This Committee recommended that petitions should be examined and classified by an ad hoc committee to be set up at the beginning of each session. This would leave the Council itself free to review the work of the ad hoc committee and make such changes as it thought necessary. Special and Visiting Missions The Council at its fifth session completed arrangements for the second regular United Nations visiting Mission to survey the trust territories in West Africa. During November and December, 1949, this Mission comprising representatives of Iraq, Belgium, Mexico, and the United States, visited West Africa, where it was received enthusiastically by the peoples of the trust territories. The Council decided that the reports of the visiting Mission should be treated as supplementary information to be considered during the examination of the annual report submitted by each administering authority. The Council at its sixth session completed arrangements for the visiting Mission to the Pacific trust territories. This Mission will visit Western Samoa, Nauru, New Guinea, and the strategic trusteeship of the Pacific islands over a 110-day period, leaving New York in April, 1950. The United Kingdom, China, France, and the Philippines will be represented in this Mission. Political, Social, Economic, and Educational Advancement in Trust Territories The General Assembly in 1949 approved a resolution supporting the Trusteeship Council in its recommendations to the administering authorities that they should adopt measures which would hasten the advancement of the trust territories towards self-government or independence. A resolution also urged the solution of important

social problems in trust territories and called for the abolition of all discriminatory practices. This proposal received general support in the Committee and in the General Assembly itself. The Assembly adopted also a Cuban proposal aimed at establishing certain guiding principles in the economic development of trust, territories. It emphasized that all economic policies in the territories should be guided primarily by the essential interests of the indigenous inhabitants and the necessity for raising their standards of living. This resolution noted with satisfaction the excellent financial situation in the Trust Territories of Western Samoa and Nauru and endorsed the recommendations of the Council regarding the need for the formulation of plans laying down a sound economic foundation for these territories. The Special Committee, mentioned in last year's report, which was established to study the expansion of higher educational facilities in the African trust territories found that the establishment at the present time of a single university for the six African trust territories was impracticable, mainly because of marked differences in the territories concerned. The Committee therefore, after reviewing the present facilities for higher education and the plans of the administering authorities for further development, made various recommendations to the three Governments concerned (Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom) calling for an intensification and strengthening of their efforts to the fullest extent possible. These recommendations were adopted by the Council. At its sixth session the Trusteeship Council accepted the recommendations of the General Assembly that it should include special sections in its next report on the implementation by the administering authorities of measures for political, social, economic, and educational advancement of the trust territories. Administrative Unions Affecting Trust Territories The earlier developments in this question were dealt with in last year's report. At its fifth session the Trusteeship Council resolved to continue to study and examine the operations of such administrative unions in all their aspects during its regular examination of the conditions in trust territories. It requested the administrative authorities concerned to make the fullest possible effort to furnish separate records and statistics in order to safeguard the effective exercise of the Council's supervisory functions. After consideration of alternative proposals, the Fourth Committee of the Assembly adopted a resolution recommending that the Trusteeship Council should complete its investigation. The

General Assembly made it clear that union should in no case compromise the evolution of any trust territory towards self-government or independence. Several Canadian amendments designed to make the resolution acceptable to the administering authorities concerned and to avoid tying down the Council by prejudging issues were rejected. The New Zealand delegate pointed out that each case should be judged by reference to local conditions and the specific provisions of the trusteeship agreements. The resolution, however, was adopted by the General Assembly after the administering Powers concerned had stated that it was entirely unacceptable to them. At its sixth session held at Geneva the Trusteeship Council adopted a further resolution authorizing its Special Committee on Administrative Unions (of which New Zealand is a member) to continue its study in order to permit the Council to terminate its inquiry. The Committee is to report back to the Council at its seventh session in July, 1950. The Use of the Flag of the United Nations in Trust Territories In 1949 the General Assembly approved the draft resolution submitted in the Fourth Committee requesting the Trusteeship Council to recommend to the administering authorities that the United Nations flag should be flown in all trust territories side by side with the flag of the administering authority concerned and the. territorial flag if there is one. The New Zealand representative (Sir Carl Berendsen) supported a United Kingdom amendment which would have referred the matter to the Trusteeship Council for study. He pointed out that the tendency should be to reduce the number of flags in trust territories, not increase it. When submitted to the Trusteeship Council the proposal to fly the United Nations flag was defeated, the voting being equally divided. The New Zealand delegate voted against the motion. (b) Non- self-governing Territories The Special Committee which the General Assembly established at its third session to examine the statistical and other information of a technical nature, transmitted in accordance with Article 73 (e) of the Charter, relating to economic, social, and educational conditions in the non-self-governing territories administered by member States, convened in August, 1949, at Lake Success. The Committee consists of the eight Powers at present transmitting information* and eight elected members, which in 1949 were Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, India, Sweden, Venezuela, and the U.S.S.R.

* New Zealand transmits information in respect of the Cook and Tokelau Islands,

The Special Committee submitted to the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly six draft resolutions. Two of these, as in the previous year, related respectively to the transmission of political information and to the re-establishment of the Special Committee itself. Three resolutions dealt with education, and the last called for co-operation with specialized agencies. In the Fourth Committee of the Assembly the resolutions on educational matters were adopted with some amendments. That dealing with the promotion of the use of indigenous languages (on which New Zealand abstained) urged administering States to use the vernacular at all levels of schooling in territories. New Zealand also abstained from voting on the resolution on transmission of political information, the adoption of which would imply condemnation of States not choosing to take a course which the Charter had clearly left them free to reject. The New Zealand Government supplies such information, but recognizes no obligation to do so. The resolution on collaboration and co-operation with specialized agencies was adopted, as was a resolution establishing the Special Committee for a further three years. Most of the administering Powers, including New Zealand, were prepared to renew the Committee for one year only ; a French proposal to this effect was, however, rejected, together with a Czechoslovakian resolution recommending a permanent Committee. Four more resolutions were introduced in the Fourth Committee. A resolution inviting the Special Committee to examine the factors which should be taken into account in deciding whether any territory has obtained a full measure of self-government was adopted by the Assembly in the face of opposition from the administering Powers, including New Zealand. The question of constitutional relationships between administering Powers and territories under their jurisdiction is, in the Government's view, one which these Powers alone are competent to decide. The other three resolutions proposed respectively that the Special Committee should in 1950 give particular attention to education ; that the Secretary-General should publish, periodically, data on aspects of the progress achieved in non-self-governing territories ; and that the Secretary-General should keep the Special Committee informed of the nature of the technical assistance afforded to non-self-governing territories by specialized international bodies. These ten resolutions of the General Assembly constitute the framework within which the Special Committee will carry out its task in 1950 ; they give an indication of the extreme importance which the majority of members of the United Nations attach to the problems of the colonial areas.

The non-administering members of the new Special Committeeelected by the Fourth Committee were—for a term of three years : Egypt, India, Brazil, U.S.S.R. ; for two years ; Mexico and the Philippines; for one year: Venezuela and Sweden. 5. Administration and Finance Budget The accepted expenditure for the 1950 Budget is $42,171,583,. and it is on this amount that Government contributions are assessed. The Budget includes $8,000,000 to provide for the implementation of the resolution adopted by the General Assembly concerning the establishment of an international regime for the Jerusalem area and the protection of the Holy Places. New Zealand's assessment of 0.50 per cent, of the total Budget remains unchanged, and the amount to be paid is $162,284 (£(N.Z.)58,537). Seven per cent, of New Zealand's contribution may be paid in soft currency allocated by the United Nations. The soft currency option offered to New Zealand is Pakistan rupees, and $22,800 (£(N.Z.)8,224) will be paid in this currency in quarterly instalments. "Permanent Headquarters of United Nations In June, 1949, the Congress of the United States of America approved an interest-free loan of $65,000,000 to the United Nations for the erection of permanent headquarters. Substantial progress has been made in the construction of the thirty-nine-story building to accommodate the Secretariat, and it is hoped that the building will be completed in January, 1951. The Venue of Meetings of the United Nations Organisations This question was discussed at length by the Fifth Committee. The New Zealand representative urged that, on grounds of economy,, efficiency, and difficulties of representation, no funds should be provided to meet the additional costs of holding the sixth session of the Trusteeship Council at Geneva. He introduced resolutions to this effect at both the first and second readings of the Budget, but these were defeated. Secretariat The Committee of Experts' report on a review undertaken of the salary allowance and leave payments of the Secretariat was considered and referred to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for detailed study, pending reconsideration by the Fifth Committee at the next session of the General Assembly.

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Approval was given, after considerable discussion, to the establishment of an administrative tribunal, which is, in effect, a final Court of Appeal to which a member of the Secretariat has recourse when he considers that the terms of his contract have been violated. In addition, the Secretary-General was authorized to establish joint administrative machinery with staff participation to enable appeals to be made by staff members concerning proposed disciplinary measures, non-observance of contracts, breaches of rules and regulations. 6. Legal Questions Report of the International "Law Commission The International Law Commission held its first session at Lake Success from 12 April to 9 June, 1949, and reported to the fourth session of the General Assembly. The Commission related the steps it had taken to organize a programme of work. Priority had been given to the study of— The law of treaties ; Arbitral procedure ; The regime of the high seas ; and two other questions referred to the Commission by the General Assembly—viz., formulation of the Nurernburg principles and preparation of a draft code of offences against the peace and security of mankind, and the establishment of an international criminal tribunal. In its discussion the Fourth General Assembly devoted most of its attention to the disputed question whether the statute of the International Law Commission required the Commission to seek the approval of the General Assembly to the selection of topics for codification before beginning work. The General Assembly, by implication, upheld the majority view of the Commission that such approval was not required. The Assembly did, however, suggest that a study of the regime of territorial waters should'be included in the list of priorities in view of its close relation with the regime of the high seas. Part II of the report of the International Law Commission contains a draft Declaration on the Rights and Duties of States prepared by the Commission in accordance with an instruction of the General Assembly. Discussion in the Fourth General Assembly centred round the action to be taken on the draft Declaration, and it was finally decided that it should be referred to Governments for comments. Governments were to be asked to include their views as to further action by the General Assembly on the draft Declaration.

Convention on Genocide The Fourth General Assembly decided to invite any State which is not a member of the United Nations but which "is or hereafter becomes an active member of one or more of the specialized agencies of the United Nations, or which is or hereafter becomes a party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice " to become a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The New Zealand Government signed the Genocide Convention on 25 November, 1949, and thus became one of the forty-three original signatories. The Convention will not come into force until there have been twenty ratifications, of which there were eight as at 9 March, 1950. Declaration of Death of Missing Persons The Fourth General Assembly also considered a draft convention on the Declaration of Death of Missing Persons which was referred to an international conference held in New York in March, 1950. After examination of the draft convention the Government decided that New Zealand should not be represented at the conference, since the proposal was mainly designed to meet difficulties which had arisen as a result of war conditions in Europe and Asia. SPECIALIZED INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Included in this section are a number of autonomous* international organizations of a technical or specialized nature in whose work New Zealand has a direct concern ; most of them are specialized agencies of the United Nations. It may be noted that New Zealand is a member of all the specialized agencies whose constitutions have entered into force, with the exception of the International Bank and the International Monetary Fund. For convenience, certain organizations concerned with trade questions are included in the section of this report which deals with economic affairs. 1. International Labour Organization (ILO) Three new conventions, including The Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention, were adopted by the International Labour Conference at its thirty-second session held at Geneva in June and July, 1949. In addition, three new recommendations were adopted, while five conventions and one recommendation were revised and brought up to date. The Conference also decided that the ILO should participate in the United Nations Technical Assistance

* 1.e., established by a separate treaty or convention.

Programme. The Organization has also initiated its own Fellowship Fund of $70,000 for overseas study in such fields as employment organization, industrial health, safety and welfare, and vocational training. The Conference approved the establishment of a Fact-finding and Conciliation Commission on Freedom of Association and requested the Director-General to discuss its formation with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. This question was discussed by the Economic and Social Council and by the ILO Governing Body in subsequent months, and it was finally agreed that the Commission should examine alleged infringements of trade-union rights on behalf of both the ILO and the United Nations. In March, 1950„ the names of seven of the nine members of this Commission were announced, one being the Hon. Mr Justice Tyndall, Judge of the New Zealand Arbitration Court. Many social and industrial questions within ILO's competence have come under review during the year. For example, preparations have been made for the discussion of the question of equal pay for equal work for men and women at the 1950 Conference. The various industrial committees and other specialized bodies established by the ILO have continued their normal work. Professor Ernest Beaglehole, Professor of Psychology at Victoria University College, was appointed a member of the newly established Committee on Indigenous Labour. In particular, ILO has continued to expand its operational and regional activities, giving special attention to countries which have not fully benefited from its work in the past. These activities include the establishment of a Man-power Field Office in Latin America and an Asian Field Office for Technical Training in India. An Asian Conference of Experts on Vocational and Technical Training met at Singapore in September, 1949 ; an Asian Regional Conference met in Ceylon in January, 1950, to report on labour inspection, co-operatives, employment service organization, and workers' welfare ; and an Asian Advisory Committee of the Governing Body was set up in March, 1950. New Zealand was the host country for a meeting of the ILO Committee of Social Security Experts held at Wellington in February, 1950, to revise existing social security conventions and recommendations and to consider the drawing-up of minimum international standards for social security services. The Minister in Charge of Social Security, the Hon. J. T. Watts, addressed the Conference. A Conference of Experts on Pneumoconiosis was held in New South Wales in February and March, 1950, to study the prevention of silicosis and other industrial and mining lung-diseases.

The ratification by New Zealand of the Employment Service Convention (No. 88) was registered with the Organization on 3 December, 1949. The ILO now has sixty members, Israel and Lebanon having been admitted during the year and Yugoslavia having withdrawn. 2. United -Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) UNESCO's work in this period has been marked by a greater concentration of effort owing in part to the application of an order of priority to the programme in 1949, and the practical results are evident in most of the Organization's activities. In the reconstruction field UNESCO provided urgent relief for Greek refugee children and for victims of the Ecuador earthquake, and educational assistance for refugees in the Middle East. Educational seminars were organized during the year, and advisory educational Missions were sent out to certain member States. The Organization's plan for the revision of text-books and teaching materials, with a view to making them better instruments of international understanding, is now in operation, the New Zealand Council for Educational Research being the sponsoring agency for the revision in this country. The UNESCO fellowship scheme (described in last year's report) continues to operate, and in New Zealand the three 1949 fellowship holders from Malaya, the Philippines, and Burma completed courses of study in infant welfare, social services, and vocational guidance respectively. The New Zealand Government offered six further fellowships for 1950—two each to Burma, Malaya, and Indonesia—and the two Malay fellows have already commenced their studies. During the year UNESCO published Volume II of " Study Abroad," which provides full information on fellowships and scholarships tenable in States members of the Organization. A number of important scientific conferences were held during this period, including meetings on Science Abstracting and an International Technical Conference on the Protection of Nature. In the cultural field the Organization established an International Council of Music and initiated the circulation of reproductions of works of art which had hitherto not been readily available. The fourth session of the General Conference of UNESCO was held at Paris in September and October, 1949. This was a business Conference at which few decisions on the development or revision of the programme were taken. The report of the New Zealand delegates, Sir James Shelley and Dr ]. C. Beaglehole, has been printed as External Affairs Publication No. 86.

The National Commission for UNESCO, which is the advisory body concerned with UNESCO activities in New Zealand, has met at regular intervals during the year. The Commission's permanent Secretariat acts where necessary in consultation with the Department of External Affairs, which is the principal channel of communication with the UNESCO Secretariat. 3. World Health Organization (WHO) The second World Health Assembly met in Rome in June and July, 1949, and was attended by fifty-four delegations, including New Zealand. The Soviet Union, Ukraine, and Byelorussia were not represented, having previously announced their withdrawal from the Organization. Since then the Governments of Bulgaria, Rumania, and Albania have also announced their withdrawal. The Assembly approved a 1950 Budget of $7,501,500 and the establishment of a Working Capital Fund of $4,000,000. New Zealand contributes £11,417 to the normal Budget and £2,491 to the Fund. The activities of the World Health Organization cover a wide range, including notification to Governments of the occurrence of infectious diseases throughout the world, and distribution of up-to-date information to members on progress in biological standardization, unification of pharmacopoeia, See. During the present year emphasis has shifted to the provision of advice and assistance to member Governments through visits from individual experts, provision of teams to combat specific diseases, and comprehensive units to advise on the establishment of fundamental health services. The Organization aims in all these activities to encourage Governments, by the application of modern methods, to control diseases which endanger their own and other countries, at the same time showing that control of disease and the establishment of health services are within the budgetary possibilities of the country. The teams also go to some pains to illustrate the indirect benefits which accrue in the form of added man-power resources and improved production potential. Although WHO experts are made available to Governments free of charge, local authorities are expected to provide such services as are locally available and to meet costs which can be financed from local currencies. The number of comprehensive demonstration units which can be established is limited by budgetary resources, and in order to illustrate the vital link between good health and productivity the Organization has selected for its demonstration units areas which are potentially productive. In these campaigns dramatic results have been achieved. In Ceylon, for example, the

death-rate from malaria, which from 1943-46 had varied between 22. and 20.3 per thousand, fell within one year to 14.3, and the infant death-rate fell from 141 to 101 per thousand. During 1949 the World Health Organization participated, along with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Bank, and the United Nations, in the first of a series of comprehensive Missions. A Mission was sent to Haiti to help draw up an economic development plan. The general nature of the country was such as to provide a sample of a characteristically under-developed area, and it is expected that the Mission's report will provide a pattern of study and recommendations for future investigations in connection with the expanded programme of technical assistance. In war-devastated countries WHO has co-operated with UNICEF Missions in, for example, BCG immunization against tuberculosis. The Organization also operates a fellowships scheme to facilitate advanced study in other countries. Dr Brock Chisholm, DirectorGeneral of the Organization, visited New Zealand during March, 1950, and as a result of his discussions with the Government,, fellowships under this scheme will be made available to qualified New Zealanders. 4. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) FAO's role as an advisory agent for the mobilization of scientific knowledge to secure increased production, improved processing, and better distribution of food and other farm, forest, and fisheries products has been consolidated by expanded work in a variety of fields. In his report to the fifth session of the FAO Conference held at Washington from 21 November to 7 December, 1949, the DirectorGeneral said there were two great needs facing Governments to-day in fields with which FAO deals. The first was to push on the drive for economic development of under-developed areas, and the second was to act promptly to forestall the possibility of disastrous surpluses. The Conference recorded that while total world agricultural production had regained pre-war levels, population had increased 10 per cent. It was noted that some of the more developed countries with actual or imminent agricultural surpluses had initiated action to reduce their output of export products and that some underfed countries were restricting food imports, which they could not afford to buy. There was detailed criticism of proposals to establish a Governmentfinanced International Commodity Clearing House to move international surpluses from hard-currency areas to deficit areas. The Conference set up an advisory committee to study agricultural surplus commodity problems arising from balance of payments difficulties.

A report was received on international investment and financing facilities, and it was noted that because of the inability of underdeveloped countries to save enough for investment there was a danger that the economic gap between developed and under-developed countries would become greater. The Conference approved full participation by FAO in the United Nations Technical Assistance Programme, and decided that first priority should be given to measures designed to secure early increases in the production of food and other requirements of local populations. By a vote of 30 to 28 the Conference chose Rome as the site of the permanent headquarters in preference to a site in the United States of America. It was decided tentatively to hold the next Conference in Rome in April, 1951, conferences thereafter to be held biennially. Before the Conference, FAO regional meetings were held in the Near East, the Far East, Latin America, and Europe to undertake regional surveys and to co-ordinate national plans. Assistance to Governments during the year has included insect and infestation control in Latin America, soil surveys in the Near East, production of rinderpest vaccine in the Far East, and improvement of maize production in Europe. A large number of conferences and meetings — e.g., on animal diseases, rice, forestry control, and fisheries —has been held and the training of statisticians for the 1950 world census of agriculture has been continued. New Zealand was represented at a preparatory conference on world wood-pulp problems held at Montreal during April-May, 1949. Among the noteworthy technical projects initiated by FAO is the preparation of world catalogues of genetic stocks, and seed of outstanding varieties of cereals and other plants is being distributed for ■experimental purposes. Liaison and joint activities with United Nations, other specialized agencies, and also with international non-governmental organizations have been further developed. Examples are collaboration with the ILO on co-operatives, with WHO for malaria control in rural areas, with UNESCO in rural education, and discussions with the International Federation of Agricultural Producers. The former International Emergency Food Council, which became the Emergency Food Committee of the FAO Council, was dissolved as at 30 June, 1949, by a decision of the sixth session of the FAO Council. In December, 1949, Czechoslovakia announced its withdrawal from the Organization.

5. International Refugee Organization (IRO) The third (special) session of the General Council of the IRO was held at Geneva from 28 June to 8 July, 1949. The main result of the session was to move forward to 31 August, 1949, the date on which, with some exceptions, acceptance of applications for registration as refugees would be discontinued. It was further decided to discontinue care and maintenance by 30 June, -1950, for all persons other than those awaiting resettlement and repatriation and those requiring permanent assistance such as institutional care. The General Council recognized that when IRO's main task ended there would still be large and perhaps increasing numbers of refugees. It concluded that international protection of refugees should continue unbroken and should be entrusted to the United Nations. The detailed conclusions of the Council were referred to the Economic and Social Council. The resignation of the Director-General (Mr W. Hallam Tuck) was accepted with regret, and Mr J. Donald Kingsley was appointed as his successor. At the fourth session of the Council in October, 1949, it became clear that member Governments were prepared to support the Organization's operations for a supplementary period after 30 June, 1950. It was estimated that at that date there would be 142,000 refugees awaiting resettlement and 149,000 who could not be resettled. A budget of $55,000,000 for a supplementary period of about nine months to March, 1951, was adopted. The Council decided to suggest to the United Nations General Assembly that it should immediately discuss the international responsibilities which would have to be met after IRO's operations ceased. (At its fourth session the United Nations General Assembly decided to establish a High Commissioner's Office for refugees as from 1 January, 1951.) During the second half of 1949, refugees were re-established at an average rate of 27,800 per month, and by 31 December the total re-established reached 758,923. Following the announcement that registrations would cease on 31 August, 1949, there were approximately 200,000 new applicants for registration. The most recent estimate is that on 30 June, 1950, there will be still 405,600 people registered, including 187,000 receiving care and maintenance. The Organization, in conjunction with individual countries, is exploring every possibility of resettling all the people in its care. For example, Norway has accepted 50 blind refugees, Pakistan is accepting refugee doctors and surgeons, and countries such as the United Kingdom and Ceylon are accepting individual specialists. Attempts are also being made to provide suitable conditions for the settlement of some refugees in the European countries where they are now located.

The IRO has, in addition, maintained its routine services such as health, rehabilitation, vocational training, and legal and political protection of refugees and has extended its co-operation with voluntary organizations. Surplus supplies have been transferred, and up to $2,800,000 has been lent to the United Nations to assist in the relief of Palestine refugees. In February, 1950, the Deputy Director-General of IRO, Sir Arthur Rucker, visited New Zealand to discuss the possibility of New Zealand accepting additional numbers of refugees. Being anxious to assist the IRO to the fullest extent possible, the New Zealand Government decided to accept a further group of 1,000 displaced persons, including a proportion of elderly people, for resettlement in New Zealand. It was also decided to accept individual specialists and relations of refugees and displaced persons now in New Zealand, subject to various stipulations such as the availability of accommodation. New Zealand will also pay IRO the additional sum of £58,459 to help offset the effect on IRO's finances of the devaluation of sterling in September, 1949. The fourth session of the IRO General Council opened at Geneva on 15 March, and the New Zealand representative, Mr J. V. Brennan, was elected Vice-Chairman. 6. International Civil Aviation During the year the Department has continued to watch the •developments in the field of civil aviation in so far as they affect New Zealand's external relations and policy. The Third Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization was held in Montreal in June, 1949. As the agenda for this Assembly consisted of budgetary and administrative questions only, it was decided that New Zealand could be adequately represented by officers stationed at New Zealand's North American posts, and action was taken accordingly. The most important items discussed were the Budget for the 1950 financial year and the plans for its expenditure. The Budget amounted to 2,937,607 Canadian dollars, New Zealand's contribution being 24,970 dollars. The council of ICAO, through its technical, legal, and economic committees, has continued to do important work in furthering the aims set out in the International Civil Aviation Convention of 1944. One of the most significant developments has been the entry into force on 1 March, 1950, of Annex 9 to the Convention ; this Annex lays down certain standards and recommended practices for the Improvement of international air transport, including such problems as documentation for air crews, passengers, and cargo, currency exchange, and the prevention of the carriage of disease by air.

Accepted by the majority of contracting States, including NewZealand, after more than three years of painstaking effort, this agreement is typical of the work being done by the Organization to foster the orderly development of international air transport. Throughout the year the Department maintained its interest in the provision of air services in the South Pacific. Unfortunately it was not possible to hold a meeting of the South Pacific Air Transport Council at the end of 1949 or early 1950, but it was expected that a meeting would be held in the near future to discuss problems that had arisen since the last meeting of the Council in NovemberDecember, 1948. On' 15 September, 1949, and 27 October, 1949, argeements were signed by the Governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand providing for the continued operation of Tasman Empire Airways, Ltd., and British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines, Ltd., respectively. A further agreement concerning international civil aviation was established by an exchange of notes between New Zealand and France dated 15 November, 1949, under the terms of which New Zealand and France granted reciprocal air traffic rights to each other in their respective South Pacific territories. 7. International Telecommunications International Telecommunications Union (ITU) The International Telecommunications Union, which was established by the International Telecommunications Convention signed at Atlantic City in 1947, and which replaced the out-moded organization set up under the Madrid Convention of 1932, has devoted considerable energy to the study of its important tasks during the period under review. Some of the problems have been satisfactorily resolved, but a great deal of work remains to be done before the telecommunications systems of the world can be regarded as being on a stable and efficient basis. Although the work of the ITU is of a technical nature and largely outside the scope of the External Affairs Department, problems of political significance have arisen, and are likely to rise in the future, at deliberations of the organization. For this reason a close watch is kept on all developments likely to affect the Government's external policy. A most difficult and, from New Zealand's point of view, a most important task, the preparation of a new international frequency list, has been assigned to the Provisional Frequency Board of ITU. New

Zealand has been ably represented at the meetings of this Board during 1949, and, although progress has been retarded by both technical and political difficulties, it is not unreasonable to expect that a plan acceptable to the majority of nations will be drawn up in the near future. During the period under review New Zealand was represented at the following conferences, besides the Provisional Frequency Board Conference mentioned above : (1) The ITU Radio Conference for Region 3.—This Conference commenced in Geneva on 17 May, 1949, and dealt with the preparation of a frequency list for radio stations on frequencies not dealt with by the Provisional Frequency Board or other ITU conferences in countries of the Far East, the Western Pacific, and Indian Ocean areas. The outcome of the Conference, which terminated on 4 November, 1949, can be regarded as satisfactory to New Zealand. (2) The ITU Telegraph and Telephone Administrative Conference. — Held in Paris from 19 May to 5 August, 1949. (3) The International Administrative Aeronautical Radio Conference (Second Session). —The Conference, which met at Geneva from 1 August to 14 October, 1949, considered a plan for the allocation of aeronautical frequencies. Considerable delay in the discussions was caused by the obstructive tactics of the Soviet bloc, but a plan was finally evolved which satisfied New Zealand's requirements in this sphere. Commonwealth Communications The establishment of an efficient telecommunications system between the Commonwealth and Empire countries is extremely important to New Zealand and is a problem in which this Department takes particular interest. New Zealand is represented on the Commonwealth Communications Board, which meets regularly in London and which has done a considerable amount of work towards building up an efficient service. On 12 August, 1949, a telecommunications agreement was signed by all British Commonwealth countries and the United States of America, after discussions designed to revise the Telecommunications Agreement signed in Bermuda on 4 December, 1945. The agreement covers such questions as the provision of radio telegraph circuits, telegraph and cable rates, and press rates.

8. International Meteorological Organization (IMO) The International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which has as its members the Directors of National Meteorological Services,, has been working in this field since 1878. The need for a new worldwide inter-governmental agency had been felt for some time, and in October, 1947, a Convention, which New Zealand signed and subsequently ratified, was drawn up to create the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). On 21 February, 1950, Iraq became the thirtieth country to. accede to the 1947 Convention; the Convention formally entered into force on 23 March, 1950. From that date, therefore, the World Meteorological Organization is responsible for the promotion of international co-operation in the establishment of networks of weather observation stations, the standardization of meteorological observations, the application of meteorology to aviation, shipping, agriculture, and numerous other important problems. In the past New Zealand took an active part in the discussions of the International Meteorological Organization, and in view of the importance of meteorological services to this country it is hoped that it will be possible to give full support to the activities of the new World Meteorological Organization also. The World Meteorological Organization, which will have as its members the Governments of States and territories with independent meteorological services, is expected to become one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations dealing with problems of transport and communications. 9. International Whaling Commission The New Zealand Government, on 2 August, 1949, ratified the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (1946), which had entered into force on 10 November, 1948. This Convention supersedes the Agreement on the Regulation of Whaling signed in London on 8 June, 1937, and subsequently extended and amended by the Protocol of 24 June, 1948. The Agreement and Protocol were denounced by New Zealand with effect from 3Q, June, 1950. New Zealand was represented by an observer at the first meeting of the International Whaling Commission held in London in MayJune, 1949. On ratification of the Convention the New Zealand Government was entitled to nominate a member of the Commission, and the Secretary of Marine has been appointed accordingly.

ECONOMIC AFFAIRS The Department of External Affairs has as one of its functions that of acting as a channel of communication between other Departments in New Zealand concerned with economic affairs and Governments and organizations overseas. It takes joint action in consultation with other Departments in cases where problems arise in which political and security factors are mixed with economic factors. The following sections survey briefly the major economic matters which have engaged the attention of the Department during the year. 1. International Trade and Monetary Organizations (a) General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade In the period under review the Department has again been concerned, in association with other interested Departments, with those international organizations which have been set up to promote the expansion of world trade and employment. As yet, only Liberia has accepted the charter for an International Trade Organization (ITO), completed two and a half years ago at Havana. Most of the smaller countries are still deferring action until the charter is accepted by the major powers. In the meantime the Interim Commission for the International Trade Organization, which was set up to make the necessary preparations for the first year's work of ITO, has completed most of the work it can do in the present circumstances. However, its Secretariat has continued to undertake a variety of secretarial services for the Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). New Zealand was represented by a delegation at the third session of the Contracting Parties to GATT, which was held at Annecy, France, from April to August, 1949. The main aim of this session was to enable eleven countries wishing to join the agreement to carry out tariff negotiations with the twenty-three original members and to work out the terms upon which they could become members. The mutual concessions negotiated at Annecy were naturally more limited in scope than those achieved in 1947 at Geneva, but they represented a further step towards the reduction of trade barriers in conformity with the aims of the General Agreement, New Zealand completed negotiations with Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden, and Uruguay. While the effect on our economy of the concessions given and received is likely to be small, they may eventually prove helpful in the marketing of our produce overseas. On 30 November, 1949,

the New Zealand Ambassador to the United States of America signed, in New York, the Annecy Protocoal of Terms of Accession, enabling the new countries to accede to the Agreement. The fourth session of the Contracting Parties met at Geneva between 23 February and 3 April, 1950. Before this session a questionnaire had been circulated to ascertain to what extent contracting parties were discriminating in the application of their import restrictions. New Zealand and other sterling area countries, for example, are forced, because of the prevailing dollar shortage, to discriminate against the dollar area. The Contracting Parties at Geneva have prepared a report on the replies received. The Contracting Parties have also considered the extent to which import and export restrictions are still being applied under the agreement and have recommended action for a review of import restrictions in the near future. Further discussion took place on the procedure for enabling those contracting parties (including New Zealand) which are not members of the International Monetary Fund to enter into a special exchange agreement as provided for under GATT. The object of this agreement would be to ensure that members do not, by exchange action, frustrate the provisions of GATT concerning the conduct of international trade. It was also decided that a third round of tariff negotiations should be held at Torquay in September, 1950. (b) International Wheat Agreement Last year's report outlined the provisions of the agreement drawn up by the International Wheat Conference at the beginning of 1949. New Zealand deposited its instrument of acceptance on 27 June. The agreement came into force on 1 July, 1949, except for Part 2 setting out the rights and obligations of members, which it was later decided should become operative on 1 August, 1949. At its first session held in Washington in July, 1949, the International Wheat Council chose London as its permanent seat. Mr J. B. Prendergast, representative of the Department of Industries and Commerce in London, was appointed New Zealand's delegate. In September, 1949, the devaluation of a number of currencies, including our own, caused a rise in the agreed maximum and minimum prices in terms of the devalued currencies. This had the effect of making the agreement less favourable from the -importers' point of view. Exporters, however, point out that the price of wheat on the free market is still greater than the new maximum under the agreement.

The second session of the Council began in London on 1 November, 1949. The main items on the agenda were consideration of the price adjustments following devaluation and the possibility of Germany and Japan acceding to the agreement. It was eventually decided that Germany's application should be accepted, but that the question of Japan's accession should be deferred in the meantime. (c) International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Although New Zealand is not a member of these organizations, the Department follows their activities, which have widespread effects in the economic and financial sphere. The main feature of the work of the Fund during the year was the part which it played in the devaluation of sterling and other currencies in September. These currency changes were made in conformity with decisions of the Fund arrived at after discussion by all member nations. Two members of the sterling area, India and Australia, have bought dollars from the Fund during the year in an effort to relieve temporarily the sterling area's deficit with the United States. The Fund has also carried out an extensive programme of technical assistance to its members in the fields of banking, monetary policy, and public finance. In the period under review the World Bank made more extensive loans for developmental purposes than it had previously. Two hundred million dollars were lent in the calendar year 1949. India was among the recipients, borrowing dollars for agricultural development and railway rehabilitation. The Bank has also been active in aiding under-developed countries to make general surveys of their development needs and potentialities. This work has been undertaken because in the Bank's view its lending has not been limited by lack of funds but rather by the lack of soundly-conceived projects ready for finance. 2. The Commonwealth (a) Sterling Area Dollar Deficit In common with many other countries, the countries of the British Commonwealth have all been affected by their people's demand for goods and services from the dollar area much in excess of the dollar resources available to purchase them, despite generous financial aid from the United States and Canada. Consequently those countries which participate in the sterling area dollar pool arrangements found during the year that their gold and dollar reserves were diminishing at a rapid rate. The Department was closely concerned with the consultation and co-operation among the members of the Commonwealth which were necessary to meet this problem.

A Conference of Commonwealth Finance Ministers was held in London in July, 1949, to exchange views on the situation which had arisen. As a short-term measure to protect the reserves it was decided to recommend that each Government should cut its expenditure in the dollar area by 25 per cent, in comparison with the previous year. It was, of course, recognized that a real solution of the problem would depend upon the correction of long-standing difficulties in the balance of payments. Consequently representatives of the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada met in Washington in September to examine the trade and financial relationships between the sterling area and the dollar area. They proceeded to consider the steps which would have to be taken to expand the dollar earnings of the sterling area and to increase the flow of investment from North America to the rest of the world. Perhaps the most satisfactory outcome of the meetings was the acknowledgment by all three countries that a long-term solution of the dollar problem would depend on action being taken by each of them to bring about a better balance between receipts and payments in its overseas trade. Within a few days of the end of this Conference, the devaluation of the pound sterling in relation to the dollar was announced, and this action was followed by the devaluation of many other currencies, including the New Zealand pound. A review of the balance of payments position of the sterling area was held in conjunction with the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers' Conference at Colombo in January, 1950. It was by then apparent that the situation had greatly improved, partly owing to the measures taken by the sterling area and partly to the revival of business activity in the United States. (b) Commonwealth Economic Co-operation The member countries of the Commonwealth have continued to co-operate closely in matters of common concern during the year. Besides being kept informed by the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations of economic developments overseas which are of interest to New Zealand, the Department also receives valuable reports from our High Commissioners' Offices in London, Ottawa, and Canberra, whose members are given every assistance by the Governments to which they are accredited. In common with other Commonwealth countries, New Zealand maintains an economic officer on the staff of the High Commissioner in London, and at frequent intervals senior officials meet, usually under the chairmanship of the United Kingdom, to discuss current economic developments—e.g., in the European Recovery Programme,

in the sterling-dollar position, and in trade problems of the Commonwealth—and to examine in detail specific topics which can be handled better in this way than by the exchange of formal communications between Governments. In February, 1950, Mr W. Strath, an Under-Secretary of the United Kingdom Treasury, paid a visit to New Zealand to hold discussions on matters of mutual interest with officials of Departments in New Zealand concerned with economic affairs. His visit was the outcome of a recommendation by the Prime Ministers' Conference in 1948 that the methods of consultation between Commonwealth countries should be extended and improved. (c) Economic Co-operation Between Australia and New Zealand The need for close economic co-operation between Australia and New Zealand arises naturally from the proximity of the two countries and their common bonds within the Commonwealth and the sterling area. This is recognized in the Canberra Agreement of 1944, which stresses the value of a frequent exchange of visits by departmental officers of the two countries. In November, 1949, a small group of Australian officials came to New Zealand to discuss general financial and economic questions with New Zealand officials. These talks proved most useful in enabling each delegation to understand what policies were being pursued on the other side of the Tasman in matters of common concern. 3. European Recovery Programme A close interest in the progress of the European Recovery Programme is maintained, on account both of its importance in the achievement of stable and expanding world trade and of its effects on the sterling area dollar pool and on the ability of our main customer, the United Kingdom, to continue to purchase our produce at satisfactory prices. In 1949 the remarkable expansion of production by the countries receiving United States aid continued in both industry and agriculture. The total output of goods and services during the calendar year was about 25 per cent, above that of 1947 and exceeded the pre-war level. Inflationary pressure was brought under control in most countries. The Department has been especially interested in the steps being taken by Western European countries to achieve closer economic integration and thus to secure the advantage of a large competitive market with increased specialization of production. This objective is being approached in two ways. Firstly, the countries of the Organization for European Economic Co-operation have agreed to

remove a considerable proportion of their import restrictions on goods from other members. Secondly, attempts are being made to devise a European Payments Union to make possible the transferability of European currencies. Both of these developments have an effect on New Zealand's trade, and the Department is kept fully informed through Commonwealth channels and through our posts in London and Paris. 4. Other Economic Affairs References to matters of economic interest are also to be found in other sections of this report, particularly on the following subjects : The Far East and South-east Asia (including trade with Japan and the Colombo Plan for economic aid to South-east Asia), United Nations Economic and Social Council, Economic and Employment Commission, Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, technical assistance for economic development, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the reports on New Zealand's representation overseas. LEGAL AND CONSULAR AFFAIRS 1. General The Legal Section has been concerned with constitutional developments in the British Commonwealth of Nations, affecting such issues as the status of High Commissioners and the position of the Republics of Ireland and India; with the legal issues arising from the various peace settlements, including the release of property from the control of the Custodian of Enemy Property; with the legal aspects of the work of the United Nations, its principal organs and the specialized agencies ; with the privileges and immunities to be accorded to international organizations ; with the holding of Crown property abroad ; with questions on New Zealand citizenship status and the treatment of aliens ; with inquiries of a legal nature made by or through New Zealand overseas posts or by overseas representatives in New Zealand; and with the many bilateral and multilateral international argeements and conventions negotiated or open for acceptance by the New Zealand Government. The work of drafting multilateral international conventions is undertaken by international conferences and the various organs of the United Nations. Any of concern to New Zealand require detailed examination at all stages of drafting, and most particularly when signature, acceptance, or ratification is under consideration. This work is done in collaboration with other Government Departments, but it is found in many instances that the specialist legal work involved

must be undertaken by the Legal Section of the Department of External Affairs. Questions dealt with during the year include the Geneva Conventions on War Victims (see separate item in report), the Convention on Genocide, the proposed Convention on the Declaration of Death of Missing Persons, the proposed Covenant on Human Rights and Measures of Implementation, the International Copyright Convention, the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the draft Convention for the Suppression of Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, the proposed Declaration of the Rights and Duties of States, and the draft Convention relating •to the Status of Refugees. Besides the substantive issues involved in considering texts of treaties and agreements, the Legal Section is responsible for the formalities associated with treaty-making. These include the preparation of full powers authorizing attendance at international conferences or signature of international agreements, the application of such agreements to New Zealand's dependent territories, the preparation of instruments of ratification or accession, the registration of agreements with the United Nations, the publication of the New Zealand Treaty Series, and the maintenance of the treaty register. The increasing facilities which are being offered for New Zealanders to travel abroad and the adoption of a New Zealand citizenship status has led to greater emphasis being placed on the consular activities of New Zealand's overseas posts. The Section is producing as rapidly as limited resources will allow a set of consular instructions dealing with such subjects as the administration of the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act, 1948, the registration of births and deaths of New Zealand citizens abroad, the issue of passports and visas, and the protection of New Zealand citizens abroad. A large number of inquiries relating to immigration, passport facilities, and nationality status from New Zealand's overseas posts has been dealt with in collaboration with the Internal Affairs and Customs Departments. <■ 2. Diplomatic Conference for the Protection of War Victims During the Second World War the value of the Geneva Red Cross and Prisoners of War Conventions was vindicated ; but the need for ■substantial revision and for extension of the protection which the conventions afforded to the victims of warfare was clearly revealed. To meet this need a Diplomatic Conference, convened by the Swiss Government as trustee of the existing Geneva Conventions, was held from 21 April to 12 August, 1949.

This Conference, which a New Zealand delegation attended, established four new international conventions, each designed to afford increased protection to the victims of future warfare. In all, some sixty nations, including all members of the Commonwealth except South Africa and Ceylon, were represented. Three of the new conventions will, when ratified, replace conventions already in force. The Wounded and Sick or Geneva Red Cross Convention and the Maritime Convention deal with the protection on land and sea of the wounded and sick of armed forces and of those who care for them. The Prisoners of War Convention deals with the treatment of those members of the armed forces who fall into the hands of the enemy. In each case the basic principles of the conventions already in force have been retained, while care has been taken to correct defects which became apparent during the Second World War. The most notable achievement of the Conference was, however, the establishment of a new Civilian Convention, which regulates the treatment of all civilians who fall into the hands of an enemy in time of war. In the past provision had been made only for the protection of members of the armed forces ; but recent experience of modern warfare had shown the urgent need for a new international agreement which would ensure more humane treatment for civilian victims. The new convention establishes standards of treatment for civilians who find themselves in enemy territory. It also pays particular attention to the plight of the civilian inhabitants of areas occupied by the enemy. Countries responsible for the conduct of an occupation will be obliged to ensure that the food and medical supplies of the civilian inhabitants are maintained, and that the institutions of the occupied country are respected. The four new conventions, which are now open to ratification, have been signed on behalf of sixty countries, including New Zealand. NEW ZEALAND'S REPRESENTATION OVERSEAS 1. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, UnitedKingdom The Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London is much the largest as well as the oldest of New Zealand's overseas missions. Among the many official duties attaching to his position, the High Commissioner continued to represent New Zealand at periodic meetings of the Commonwealth High Commissioners held in London under the presidency of the Secretary of State for Commonwealth

Relations, and was associated with the Prime Minister at the London Conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in April, 1949. The High Commissioner and members of his staff also attended various international conferences, and secretarial and cypher staff were provided to assist New Zealand delegations to conferences in the United Kingdom and Europe. The High Commissioner's Office and staff as a whole are subject to the administrative authority of the Minister of External Affairs. However, the work of several Branches is closely related to that of other Government Departments in New Zealand and does not form an integral part of normal external relations. Although many of these Branches* are not therefore made the subject of separate mention here, their work has greatly increased the ability of the Office as a whole to act as an efficient agent of the New Zealand Government in the United Kingdom. The External Affairs Branch continued to report during the year on political and economic developments. The varied activities of the General Branch included the advertisement of vacancies and selection of candidates for many professional and technical positions in New Zealand. Students from New Zealand were assisted with their arrangements in the United Kingdom, and provision was made for absentee voting in the New Zealand general election. These tasks were supplementary to the normal activities of the Branch relating to rehabilitation, war graves, assistance of stranded seamen and other distressed New Zealanders, issuing passports and visas, and making travel and accommodation arrangements for official visitors from this country. Some of the more important projects undertaken by the Public Relations Branch were an art exhibition in the foyer of New Zealand House by New Zealand artists studying in the United Kingdom, a comprehensive display of results of the New Zealand elections, and the exhibition of a New Zealand State house in the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia. This exhibit was the object of much favourable comment. The commercial distribution of films produced by the National Film Unit has been in operation through the Public Relations Branch for only a short period, but the results are already most promising : the value in both money and publicity of this type of circulation will be many times greater than that achieved by noncommercial release. A heavy demand had to be met for all sorts of information material about New Zealand, and window displays at New Zealand House were again the object of considerable interest.

* Customs, Finance, Industries and Commerce, and Stores Indents Branches; representatives of the Departments of Agriculture, Marketing, Scientific and Industrial Research, Tourist and Health Resorts, and of the Public Trust Office.

The New Zealand Joint Services Liaison Staff maintained close contact with the defence authorities in the United Kingdom; while the Immigration Branch, as a result of the year's activities, brought the total number of assisted passages arranged for immigrants to New Zealand to 4,950. A further 80 children sailed for New Zealand under the child immigration scheme, bringing the total number in that field to 165. As a result of the Government's decision to accept a further 1,000 displaced persons from Europe, the Branch will undertake an additional burden of selection and embarkation work in conjunction with a selection team from New Zealand. Short-term leases of additional accommodation provided a measure of relief during the year to the problem of overcrowding at New Zealand House. , A fully satisfactory solution cannot, however, be expected until new headquarters are erected on the Carlton Hotel site —a project unlikely to be realized for some years. 2. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Canada Heavy demands have been made upon the small staff of the High Commissioner's Office in Ottawa during the year. During June, July, and part of August the High Commissioner was absent from Canada leading the New Zealand delegation to the International Labour Conference and presiding at the ninth session of the Economic and Social Council in Geneva. For periods in September, October, and November he was attending the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. On 7 February, as retiring President, he opened the tenth session of the Economic and Social Council at Lake Success. The staff maintained close contact with the Canadian Department of External Affairs. Reports were sent back to New Zealand on political, social, and economic developments in Canada, and infoiv mation was obtained from Canadian Government Departments for Departments in New Zealand. Publicity work included the issue of a weekly news release, the distribution of information literature, the circulation and screening of films, and the publication of several newspaper articles by the High Commissioner. Mr Thorn undertook an extensive programme of addresses to many organizations in Canada and represented New Zealand at several functions. Notable among these was the opening at Trenton of a set of memorial gates presented to Canada by other Commonwealth countries to commemorate her part in the British Commonwealth Air Training Scheme during the war.

Visitors from New Zealand calling at the Office were given all possible assistance. Many inquiries were received from students and from prospective emigrants or travellers to New Zealand and the number of passports dealt with increased. New Zealanders and dependants of New Zealanders resident in Canada also sought information on such matters as pensions and rehabilitation through this Office. 3. Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Australia During the past year there has been close co-operation with the Australian Department of External Affairs and the Official Secretary has visited the Department, where possible daily, to receive information on Australian policy in foreign affairs. Numerous questions have been discussed, including particularly Asian and Pacific affairs. The office has reported fully on various aspects of social, economic, and political conditions in Australia. The Social Security Reciprocity Agreement came into force on 1 July, 1949, and assistance on the subject has been given to various inquirers. Negotiations were continued regarding the liability for taxation of certain New Zealanders studying in Australia under bursaries. The Anzac Agency of the Imperial War Graves Commission has continued to meet regularly. New Zealand is represented at these meetings by the High Commissioner and full reports of them are received. During the year representatives of Treasury, the Dairy Prices Commission, War Histories, Marketing, and the Land and Income Tax Departments visited Canberra for discussions. The High Commissioner attended numerous gatherings and performed various representational duties on behalf of the Government. He and his staff have given many talks on various aspects of New Zealand life. At the beginning of the year authority was received for the issue of passports and visas by this Office. It is apparent that the volume of consular work, particularly in connection with passports, has increased considerably, and will continue to do so. Films are being circulated to various organizations throughout Australia and publicity material is being sent to hundreds of inquirers. 4. New Zealand Embassy, United States of America The Embassy at Washington has been principally occupied with four regular functions : providing representation at international conferences, evaluating and reporting on United States foreign and domestic policies, handling consular matters, and providing information about New Zealand.

The Ambassador, Sir Carl Berendsen, is also Permanent Delegate of New Zealand to the United Nations. He served as Chairman of the New Zealand delegations to the second part of the third session of the General Assembly in New York during April-May, 1949, and .to the fourth session in September-December. The Ambassador and members of his staff also attended meetings of the Trusteeship Council in New York and Geneva, the Interim Committee in New York, and the Far Eastern Commission in Washington. The chairmanship of the Steering Committee of the Far Eastern Commission was relinquished by Sir Carl on 27 May, 1949. Numerous reports have been furnished to the Department on current developments in United States foreign and domestic policies and on certain special issues. Chief among the international matters covered have been the North Atlantic Treaty and Military Aid Programme, atomic energy and the hydrogen bomb, the European Recovery Programme, the economic situation of the United Kingdom and United States reactions to the devaluation of sterling, United States policies towards China and South-east Asia, the Japanese Peace Settlement, and questions of Pacific security. These reports have been supplemented by the despatch of significant publications and press releases of the State Department and the Department of Defence, the Economic Co-operation Administration, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the International Monetary Fund and Bank. Publications of other Departments and copies of Acts and Congressional reports of special interest to Departments in New Zealand are forwarded regularly to this country. Discussions have been held with officers of the State Department and other Federal Government agencies on a wide variety of topics, including many of special concern to United States and New Zealand interests. In making representations on such matters, as in evaluating United States foreign and domestic policies, the Embassy has been assisted by a system of Commonwealth consultation which has been built up in Washington. Periodical meetings of the heads of Commonwealth Missions have been held under the chairmanship of the United Kingdom Ambassador, and the senior officers of the Embassies have met together each fortnight to exchange information and consider problems of common concern. Every opportunity has been taken to preserve and strengthen this co-operation. The volume and complexity of consular work have increased as a result of the passage in New Zealand of the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act, 1948. Circulars interpreting and explaining the provisions of this and other relevant legislation have been prepared, in co-operation with the Department and the ConsulsGeneral at New York and San Francisco, for use in answering

inquiries from New Zealanders and United States citizens intending to come to New Zealand. Close liaison is maintained with the appropriate divisions of the State Department and the Department of Justice on all matters affecting nationality, immigration, and passport work. The Embassy has arranged the provision of legal services to protect the interests of New Zealanders whose estates in the United States are administered by the New Zealand Public Trustee. Advice and assistance have been given to private, official, and Ministerial visitors from New Zealand and special assistance furnished to New Zealand citizens in distress. The Embassy maintains a library of reference books on New Zealand and is continually adding to its stock of indexed information material and photographs. These resources have enabled it to meet numerous inquiries concerning specific aspects of New Zealand life and conditions as well as some thousands of requests for free information material. In addition, the Embassy keeps a library of New Zealand films available for screening through a rental agency and distributes each month 1,400 copies of a newsletter entitled " News from New Zealand." Greatest interest in New Zealand has been shown in the fields of education, social security, elections and government, labour conditions, and immigration. The amount of correspondence in this latter field has been taken to indicate that a substantial volume of immigration from America to New Zealand could be encouraged at any time. 5. New Zealand Legation, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics The circumstances under which this post has functioned differ considerably from those experienced by New Zealand Missions in other countries. The large volume of normal diplomatic, consular, and commercial work with which other posts are required to deal did not arise in Moscow, and the Legation's main activity has always been the reporting and interpretation of Soviet policy, both within the Union and abroad. While it is unnecessary to emphasize the importance of careful evaluation of Great Power foreign policy, it may be recalled that the past year was one of significant developments in relations between the Western Powers and the U.S.S.R., and the political reports furnished by the Legation were of value in assessing Russian foreign policy. A continuing commentary on all aspects of that policy was maintained in the Legation's regular fortnightly summaries of current events, and quarterly reports, and the Legation continued the practice of reporting separately and at greater length on significant individual developments. Papers on Soviet institutions and on various aspects of the Soviet economy were despatched as usual during the period. Since the Legation was the only post maintained by the New Zealand Government in Eastern Europe, its-

political reports were purposely cast so as to cover a wide field and to include comment on developments both in the neighbouring East European States and in the Far East which had significance for the external affairs policy of New Zealand. The exchange of cultural and scientific material through the agency of the Legation continued during this period ; the Legation supplied publications dealing with New Zealand to the appropriate Soviet institutions, and despatched to New Zealand Russian technical and scientific works for distribution and analysis in New Zealand Departments. Articles on New Zealand were supplied to British Ally, the Russian-language newspaper published by the British Embassy in Moscow. Since the Soviet press has an authoritative or official character, it is a principal source of information on Russian policy, and as a supplement to the Legation's reports the translations of current articles made by the Joint Press Reading Service in Moscow were classified and forwarded by the Legation at weekly intervals. As in previous years, the Legation followed a policy of close cooperation with the Australian Embassy in Moscow. On 11 July, 1949, the Minister, Mr C. W. Boswell, accompanied by Mr D. P. Costello, paid his final visit to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the U.S.S.R., Mr Vyshinsky. The Minister's term of appointment expired on 12 July, and Mr Costello became Charge d'Affaires ad interim. At the end of the period under review, the New Zealand Government decided, for general economy reasons, that the Legation should be closed. A request was made to the United Kingdom Government for the continued representation of New Zealand interests by the United Kingdom Embassy in Moscow. 6. New Zealand Legation, France The establishment during the year of a New Zealand Legation in Paris completed the exchange of diplomatic Missions initiated by France in 1945, and has a special value not only in promoting closer relations with the French Government and people, but also in providing New Zealand with its first observation post in Western Europe. The Legation is headed by a Charge d'Affaires, Miss Jean McKenzie, formerly Official Secretary of the Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand in Canberra. There are two diplomatic officers and a clerical staff of two. During its first months the Legation occupied temporary accommodation at the Hotel Bristol, 112 Faubourg St. Honore. In the choice of permanent premises, special efforts were made to ensure

that they should be modestly priced, in a good state of repair, and adequate to provide office accommodation for the Legation staff and residential accommodation for the chief New Zealand representative in Paris. All these requirements were considered to be satisfactorily fulfilled by the property finally purchased on behalf of the New Zealand Government. This is situated at No. 9, Rue Leonard de Vinci, near the Arc de Triomphe. The cost of the new Legation, which is to be ready for occupation in April, is to be charged against the French debt for advances, supplies, and services provided for the Government of French Oceania in wartime. These had a total value of approximately £IBO,OOO, but it was decided by the New Zealand Government, as an indication of their feelings of friendship for the French Republic, and in recognition of the special circumstances under which the obligation had been incurred by the Government of French Oceania, that the sum of 80,000,000 francs (about half the original claim) should be accepted in full settlement. This amount is to be paid in non-convertible French currency at Paris, and is to be used not only to cover the cost of establishing the Legation, but also to develop further cultural ties between the two countries. Despite its initial difficulties of accommodation, the Legation has, since the outset, been able to discharge all the customary functions of an overseas post. There is considerable interest in France on New Zealand, and the Legation has supplied pamphlets, maps, and brochures to numerous people seeking information. Consular duties have also been an important responsibility, and in addition to the issue of passports and visas, the validation of documents, and the clarification of questions relating to New Zealand nationality laws, officers of the Legation have furnished advice and assistance to New Zealanders visiting or resident in France. The Legation has also received numerous inquiries from persons wishing to emigrate from France to New Zealand. In all cases, detailed reports have been made to New Zealand concerning the background of the applicants and their likely suitability as New Zealand citizens. Considerable eagerness has been shown by French citizens and private firms for the establishment of closer economic relations with New Zealand, and the Legation has acted as a channel for inquiries concerning economic activities in New Zealand, and for specific proposals for the increase of trade. Regular reports have been forwarded on current political, economic, or social topics, together with special reports furnished from time to time in response to requests from New Zealand or on matters considered to be of interest to New Zealand Government Departments.

An important purpose of the establishment ot the Legation in Paris was to provide a source of New Zealand representation at international conferences taking place in Europe, and thus to relieve the necessity for representatives to be drawn from other posts or from New Zealand itself.- Heavy demands have been made upon the Legation for this purpose, but chiefly after the closure of the period under review. 7. Permanent Delegation of New Zealand to the United Nations,, New York « As in previous years, the Permanent Delegation was required to provide staff and services for a wide variety of United Nations meetings, principally for the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council. The Councils' continuing practice of holding their meetings alternately in New York and Geneva imposed an added burden. There were few periods during the year in which the majority of the staff were not fully engaged in conference work. The Delegation nevertheless coped effectively with its basic task of keeping the Department informed on United Nations activities, both by the transmission of documents and by special reporting. A wide variety of other duties, which may be loosely grouped together under the description of " liaison with the Secretariat " was also performed by the Delegation. These included the transmission of information on staff vacancies in the Secretariat (although the Delegation does not, of course, itself act as a recruiting agency) and on the courses for students and civil servants, known as interne programmes, which are conducted each year by the Secretariat. The office received numerous inquiries, mainly from students, concerning New Zealand's participation in the United Nations. These inquiries reflect the keen interest which is taken in America in the United Nations and in the attitude of New Zealand towards the problems with which the organization deals. On 20 May, 1949, Sir Carl Berendsen, New Zealand Ambassador to the United States, was appointed to take charge of the Delegation, with the title of New Zealand Permanent Delegate to the United Nations. In March, 1950, the staff resident in New York remained unchanged from the previous year, consisting of the. SecretaryGeneral, one Second Secretary, one Third Secretary, and the necessary office staff. Although the Delegation no longer shares its offices with the New Zealand Consulate-General, the latter continues to provide certain administrative services.

8. The Consulate-General of New Zealand, New York In October, 1949, the Consulate-General in New York vacated the •offices which it had shared with the Permanent Delegation to the United Nations and occupied a suite in the International Building, Rockefeller Centre. Mr D. W. Woodward, who is assisted by a Vice-Consul and four locally engaged officers, succeeded Mr T. O. W. Brebner as Consul-General on 1 April, 1949, and assumed in addition the duties of Trade Commissioner at New York. The Consulate-General has continued to perform regular consular functions, to handle inquiries on commercial and tourist matters and requests for information on New Zealand life and conditions, and to provide administrative assistance for the Permanent Delegation to the United Nations and the official representative of the Customs Department. Numerous reports have been supplied to the Departments of Industries and Commerce and External Affairs and to other Departments and organizations as required. There has been a great increase in the circulation throughout the United States of information on New Zealand as the result of an arrangement with a New York firm for the commercial distribution to cinemas and by television of suitable films produced in New Zealand by the National Film Unit. This scheme has been in operation through the Consulate-General since August, 1949. "9. The Consulate-General of New Zealand, San Francisco The Consulate-General at San Francisco, established on 15 February, 1949, by Mr T. O. W. Brebner, Consul-General and official representative of the Customs Department, has been fully occupied with consular, commercial, and tourist matters. Consular functions have included issuing passports and visas, performing notarial services, acting for New Zealand Government Departments, supervising the shipment of goods purchased through New Zealand Trade Commissioners in the United States, operating a comprehensive library of information on New Zealand, protecting the interests of New Zealand citizens, and assisting and providing facilities for visitors from New Zealand and Ministers and officials on Government business. Numerous inquiries have been handled regarding the marketing of United States goods in New Zealand and the possibility of importing specified products from New Zealand. The Vice-Consul, a representative of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts, has devoted attention to the promotion of tourist traffic to New Zealand, maintaining contact with air and shipping companies and travel agencies and furnishing information and assistance to intending visitors to New Zealand.

APPENDIX 1 AGREEMENTS CONCLUDED BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND OTHER COUNTRIES, 1 APRIL, 1949, TO 31 MARCH, 1950 I. Multilateral Agreements International Wheat Agreement, signed at Washington on 23 March, 1949. New Zealand ratification deposited, 27 June, 1949. International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling., signed at Washington on 2 December, 1946. New Zealand ratification deposited, 2 August, 1949. Agreement between the British Commonwealth and the United States of America on Telecommunications, signed at London on 12 August, 1949. Signed on behalf of New Zealand, 12 August, 1949. New Zealand acceptance deposited, 13 February, 1950. Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 30 October, 1947 replacing Schedules 1 and 4, signed at Annecy, Trance, on 13 August, 1949. * Signed on behalf of New Zealand, 13 August, 1949. Protocol containing Modifications to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 30 October, 1947, signed at Annecy, Trance, on 13 August, 1949. * New Zealand acceptance deposited, 30 November, 1949. Protocol of Rectifications to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 30 October, 1947, signed at Annecy, Trance, on 13 August, 1949. * Signed on behalf of New Zealand on 13 August, 1949. Protocol modifying Paragraph 4 of Article XXVI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 30 October, 1947, signed at Annecy, Trance, on 13 August, 1949. * New Zealand acceptance deposited, 30 November, 1949. Protocol of terms of Accession to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of 30 October, 1947, signed at Annecy, Trance, on 10 October, 1949. * New Zealand acceptance deposited, 30 November, 1949. Agreement for the Continued Operation of Tasman Empire Airways, Limited, signed at Wellington on 15 September, 1949. * Signed on behalf of New Zealand, 15 September, 1949. Agreement for the Continued Operation of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines, Limited, signed at Canberra on 27 October, 1949. * Signed on behalf of New Zealand, 27 October, 1949. Employment Service Convention of the International Labour Organisation, signed at San Trancisco on 9 July, 1948. New Zealand ratification deposited, 3 December, 1949. International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, signed at London on 10 June, 1948. New Zealand ratification deposited, 29 December, 1949. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, signed at New York on 9 December, 1948. f Signed on behalf of New Zealand on 25 November, 1949. Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick of Armed Torces on Land, signed at Geneva on 12 August, 1949. f Signed on behalf of New Zealand on 11 February, 1950. Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked of Armed Torces at Sea, signed at Geneva on 12 August, 1949. f Signed on behalf of New Zealand on 11 February, 1950.

Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War signed at Geneva on 12 August, 1949. f Signed on behalf of New Zealand on 11 February, 1950. Convention relative to the Treatment of Civilian Persons in Time of War, signed at Geneva on 12 August, 1949. f Signed on behalf of New Zealand on 11 February, 1950. 11. Bilateral Agreements Australia Agreement establishing Social Security Reciprocity. * Signed at Wellington on 15 April, 1949. Agreement relating to the Acquisition of the Christmas Island Phosphate Company, Limited. * Signed at Canberra on 26 November, 1949. Norway Exchange of Notes, dated 22 November, 1949, establishing a Visa Abolition Agreement. * Notes exchanged at London on 22 November, 1949. Trance Exchange of Notes, dated 13 January, 1950, establishing an Agreement for the Settlement of the Debt to New Zealand incurred by the Tree Trench Torces in Oceania. * Notes exchanged at Paris on 13 January, 1950.

* Ratification not required. f Not binding on New Zealand until further action taken —e.g., ratification or acceptance.

APPENDIX 2 NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTATIVES OVERSEAS* Australia CANBERRA A.C.T.— Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand— High Commissioner: J. G. Barclay - }-. Official Secretary : R. L. Hutchens. Canada OTTAWA— Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, 105 Wurtemburg Street— High Commissioner : J. Thorn")*. Official Secretary : A. R. Perry. France PARIS— New Zealand Legation, No. 9 Rue Leonard de Vinci— Charge d'affaires : Miss J. R. McKenzie. First Secretary : T. P. Davin. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics MOSCOW— New Zealand Legation^ —- Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary : C. W. Boswell§. Charge d'affaires a.i. : D. P. Costello. United Kingdom LONDON— Office of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, New Zealand Government Offices, 415 Strand— High Commissioner: Right Hon. W. J. Jordan. Official Secretary : Major-General W. G. Stevens, C.8., C.B.E. United States of America WASHINGTON— New Zealand Embassy, 19 Observatory Circle— Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary : Sir Carl Berendsen, K.C.M.G. Counsellor: G. R. Laking.

* This list includes only New Zealand diplomatic Missions, High Commissioner's Offices, and Consulates-General as at 31 March, 1950. t To retire in April, 1950. % To be closed in June, 1950. § Retired in July, 1949.

4—A 1

NEW YORK— Consulate-General of New Zealand, Suite 526, International Building, Rockefeller Centre— Consul-General: D. W. Woodward. Office of the Permanent Delegation of New Zealand to the United Nations, Suite 6004, Empire State Building— Permanent Delegate : Sir Carl Berendsen, K.C.M.G. Secretary-General; W. B. Sutch. SAN FRANCISCO— Consulate-General of New Zealand, 153 Kearny Street — Consul-General: T. O. W. Brebner.

APPENDIX 3 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES AT WHICH NEW ZEALAND WAS REPRESENTED (1 APRIL, 1949, TO 31 MARCH, 1950)

Part I—Conferences Under the Auspices of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies

Title. Place. i Date. Names of Delegates. 1. General Assembly of the United New York. . 5 April-18 May *Sir Carl: Berendsen. Nations (Second part of third *Dr W. B. Sutch. regular session) *Mr G. R. Laking. 2. Contracting Parties to General Annecy 11 AprilMr J. P. D. Johnsen. Agreement on Tariffs and 27 August *Mr L. S. Nicol. Trade (third session) Mr A. R. Low. Mr G. J. Schmitt. *Mr H. E. Davis. *Mr J. B. Prendergast. 3. Preparatory Conference on Montreal . . 25 April-4 May Hon. C. F. Skinner. World Wood Pulp Problems Mr. S. J. Robinson. (sponsored by the Food and Mr A. R. Entrican. Agriculture Organization) 4. Social Commission of the New York!. 2-20 May *Dr W. B. Sutch. Economic and Social Council (fourth session) 5. Administrative Radio ConGeneva 17 MayMr G. Searle. ference for Region III of the 4 November Mr J. M. Power. International Telecommunications Union 6. Telegraph and Telephone Paris 19 May-5 August; Mr H. W. Curtis. Administrative Conference of Mr F. C. Gentry. the International TelecomMr T. N. Morrison. munications Union Mr B. T. Pegler. 7. Assembly of the International Montreal .. 7-20 June * Air-Commodore J. L. Civil Aviation Organization Findlay. (third session) 8. International Labour ConGeneva 8 June-2 July.. *Mr J. Thorn. ference (thirty-second session) Mr H. Parsonage. Mr A. W. Croskery. Mr J. R. Hanlon. 9. World Health Assembly Rome 13 June-2 July Dr L. S. Davis. *Mr T. P. Davin. 10. Trusteeship Council of United New York. . 15 June-22 July *Sir Carl Berendsen. Nations (fifth session) *Mr G. R. Laking. *Mr C. Craw. 11. International Conference on Paris 20-25 June Mr D Cairns. Science Abstracting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization 12. Technical Plan Committee of Paris 21 JuneMr E. W. De Lisle. International High Fre5 December Mr N. B. Johnston., quency Broadcasting Conference 13. Executive Board of the InterNew York. . 27 June-1 July : *Dr W. B. Sutch. national Children's Emergency Fund 14. General Council of the InterGeneva 28 June-8 July ! "Mr J. V. Brennan. national Refugee Organization (third session) ! * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand overseas diplomatic Mission.

Part I—Conferences Under the Auspices of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies—continued

Title. Place. Date. Names of Delegates. 15. Agenda Committee of the Geneva 29 June *Dr W. B. Sutch. Economic and Social Council 16. United Nations Educational, Paris 4-9 July Dr J. Miles. Scientific, and Cultural Organization — Meeting of Experts on Copyright 17. Economic and Social Council of Geneva 5 July-15 August *Mr J. Thorn. the United Nations (ninth *Dr W. B. Sutch. session) *Mr T. P. Davin. 18. World Forestry Conference of Helsinki . . 10-20 July .. Mr T. T, C. Birch. the Food and Agriculture Mr A. Carter. Organization Mr J. Freeman. 19. International Administrative Geneva 1 AugustMr G. Searle. Aeronautical Conference 14 October Mr F. R. W. Andrews. 20. Interim Committee of the New York. . 10 August*Sir Carl Berendsen. General Assembly 17 August 21. United Nations Scientific ConNew York . . 17 AugustMr I. L. Elliott. ference on Conservation and 6 September *Mr J. D. Raeside. Utilization of Resources 22. International Technical ConNew York.. 22-29 August *Mr J. D. Raeside (Obference on Protection of server) . Nature (under sponsorship of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) 23. Special Committee on InformaNew York. . 25 August*Mr G. R. Laking. tion Transmitted under 12 September *Mr C. Craw. Article 73 (e) of the United Nations Charter 24. United Nations Educational, Paris 9-12 September Dr J. C. Beaglehole. Scientific, and Cultural Organization—Committee of Experts on Administration of Fellowships 25. International Labour OrganizaSingapore . . 12-24 September Mr H. C. McQueen. tion Conference of Experts on Vocational and Technical Training 26. General Conference of the Paris 19 SeptemberSir James Shelley. United Nations Educational, 5 October Dr J. C. Beaglehole. • Scientific, and Cultural Organization (fourth session) 27. General Assembly of the United New York.. 20 September*Sir Carl Berendsen. Nations (fourth session) 10 December *Mr J. Thorn. *Mr F. Shanahan. Mr H. T. Reedy. *Dr W. B. Sutch. *Mr G. R. Laking. 28. United Nations Educational Paris 4-6 October .. Dr J. C. Beaglehole. Scientific and Cultural Organization—• Meeting on Book Coupons Scheme 29. General Council of International Geneva 11-20 October *Mr J. V. Brennan. Refugee Organization (fourth session) 30. Economic Commission for Asia Singapore 12-18 October *Mr J. S. Reid. and the Far East —CommitMr A. McGregor. tee on Industry and Trade * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand overseas diplomatic Mission.

100

Part I—Conferences Under the Auspices of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies—continued

Title. Place. Date. Names of Delegates. 31. Economic Commission for Asia Singapore 20-29 October *Mr J. S. Reid. and the Far East of the Mr. A. McGregor. Economic and Social Council (fifth session) 32. Radio Programme Commission Paris 24-29 October Sir James Shelley. of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization 33. Executive Board of the InterNew York.. 2-5 November *Dr W. B. Sutch. national Children's Emergency Fund 34. Food and Agricultural OrganParis 3-10 November *Dr C. S. M. Hopkirk. ization —International Congress on Animal Husbandry 35. United Nations Educational, Paris 7-10 November Sir James Shelley. Scientific and Cultural Organization—Meeting of Experts on the Arts in General Education 36. Council of the Food and AgriWashington 14 November *Mr R. W. Marshall culture Organization (Observer). (seventh session) 37. Annual Conference of the Food Washington 21 NovemberMr E. J. Fawcett. and Agriculture Organiza7 December *Mr R. W. Marshall. tion (fifth session) 38. Social Commission of the New York.. 5-15 December *Dr W. B. Sutch. Economic and Social Council (fifth session) 39. International Labour OrganizaGeneva 5-10 December Mr A. A. Kirk. tion —Advisory Committee on Juvenile Employment (first session) 40. Trusteeship Council of the New York.. 9-23 December :*Mr G. R. Laking. United Nations (special *Mr C. Craw. session) 41. Interim Committee of the New York.. 16 January *Sir Carl Berendsen. General Assembly 42. International Labour OrganizaNuwara 16 JanuaryMr E. B. Taylor. tion —First Asian Regional Eliya 28 January Mr H. G. Duncan. Conference (Ceylon) Mr W. J. V. Fernie. Mr J. Barton. 43. Trusteeship Council of the Geneva 19 January*Mr G. R. Laking. United Nations (sixth 6 April *Mr C. Craw. session) 44. Interim Committee of the New York.. 7 February *Sir Carl Berendsen. General Assembly 45. International Labour OrganizaWellington 8-17 February Mr B. F. Waters. tion—Committee of Social Security Experts (first session) 46. Meteorological Division of the Paris 14 FebruaryDr R. G. Simmers. International Civil Aviation 25 March Organization (third session) 47. Contracting Parties to General Geneva 23 February*Mr L. S. Nicol. Agreement on Tariffs and 3 April Mr G. J. Schmitt. Trade (fourth session) 48. International Labour OrganizaSydney 28 FebruaryDr E. C. Brewis. tion—International Pneu11 March Dr D. P. Kennedy. moconiosis Conference * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand ovprseas diplomatic Mission.

101

Part I—Conferences Under the Auspices of the United Nations and Specialized Agencies—continued

Part II—Peace Conferences and Meetings Concerning Reparations and Similar Problems

Title. i Place. Date. Names of Delegates. 49. United Nations Educational, Geneva 1 March *Mr L. S. Nicol. Scientific and Cultural Organization—Meeting on Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials 50. Executive Board of InterNew York.. G-7 March *Dr W. B. Sutch. national Children's Emergency Fund 51. General Council of InterGeneva 14 March *Mr J. V. Brennan. national Refugee Organization (fifth session) 52. Agenda Committee of Social New York.. 28 March *Dr W. B. Sutch. Commission of Economic and Social Council * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand overseas diplomatic Mission.

Title. Place. tv,. Names of Lme " | Delegates. 1. Far Eastern Commission and Committees 2. Assembly of Inter-Allied Reparations Agency 3. Inter-Allied Trade Board for Japan Washington Brussels Washington In continuous session from 26 February, 1946 In session from 28 February, 1946 In session from 28 October, 1946 *Sir Carl Berendsen. *Mr G. R. Laking. *Mr F. Corner. *Mr J. B. Prendergast. Sir Desmond Norton. *Mr R. W. Marshall. *Mr L. K. J. Futter. *Mr D. F. Dunlop. * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand overseas diplomatic Mission.

102

Part III—British Commonwealth Meetings

Title. Place. Date. Names of Delegates. 1. Commonwealth CommunicaLondon 21 April-10 May Mr J. G. Young. tions Council and 15 - 16. Mr. H. W. Curtis. August Mr T. N. Morrison. 2. Commonwealth Prime Ministers' London 22-27 A L .ril .. Rt. Hon. P. Fraser. Conference *Rt. Hon. W. J. Jordan *Mr A. D. Mcintosh. 3. Commonwealth and Empire London 5-8 July Miss E. R. Bridges. Health and Tuberculosis ConMrs E. M. Knox Gilmer ference (second conference) Mrs C. Meachen (Observer) 4. Commonwealth Finance London 14-18 July .. Rt. Hon. W. Nash. Ministers' Conference Mr B. C. Ashwin. Mr E. C. Fussell. Mr J. P. D. Johnsen. 5. U.S.A. and Commonwealth London 8-12 August .. Mr H. W. Curtis. Governments Tele - comMr J. G. Young. munications Meeting Mr T. N. Morrison (Observer). 6. Commonwealth Official ScienAustralia .. 22 AugustDr J. Melville. tific Conference on Plant and 15 September Mr P. D. Sears. Animal Nutrition Prof. I. E. Coop. 7. Commonwealth Scientific Adelaide and 22 AugustDr J. F. Filmer. Organization Conference Canberra 15 September Dr C. F. McMeekan. Mr R. E. R. Grimmett. 8. United Kingdom and Canberra . . 3-8 October . . Dr T. D. M. Stout. Dominions' Official Medical Histories Liaison Committee 9. Commonwealth Foreign Colombo . . 9-14 January Hon. F. W. Doidge. Ministers' Conference *Mr A. D. Mcintosh. Mr E. L. Greensmitli. 10. Commonwealth Wool ConLondon 30 J anuary - 1 Mr G. A. Duncan. ference March and 22Mr W. Horrobin. 27 March Mr N. R. Jameson. Mr B. S. Trolove. Mr C. G. Trotter. Mr H. E. Davis. I * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand overseas diplomatic Mission,

Part IV—Miscellaneous Conferences

103

Title. Place. 1 Date. Names of Delegates. 1. Diplomatic Conference for the Geneva .. 1 21 April— *Major-General W. G. Establishment of Inter12 August Stevens. tional Conventions for the Mr C. B. Burdekin. Protection of War Victims Mr A. C. Highet. *Mr R. Q. Quentin-Baxter 2. South Pacific Commission ReNoumea 30 AprilDr J. C. Lopdell. search Council 9 May Mr K. Lambie. 3. South Pacific Commission Noumea .. 7-17 May *Mr C. G. R. Mackay. (third session) *Lt.-Col. F. W. Voelcker. 4. International Federation of Guelph 30 May-14 June Mr R. B. Tennent Agricultural Producers • (Canada) Mr R. G. Buckleton. Mr J. Andrew. 5. International Whaling ComLondon 30 May-7 June *Mr T. P. Davin (Obmission . International Grassland ConNetherlands 22 June-7 July Dr B. W. Doak. gress (fifth session) Mr E. Bruce Levy. 7. International Theatre Institute Zurich 27 June-2 July Sir James Shelley. (second congress) 8. Administrative and Scientific Paris 11-12 July .. Sir James Elliott. Session of the Council cf International Union Against Tuberculosis 9. International Cancer Research Paris 15-27 July .. Sir James Elliott. Commission Dr R. O'Regan. 10. International Congress cn Crop Protection London 21-28 July . . Mr H. Jacks. 11. International Veterinary Congress (fourteenth session) London 8-13 August .. Dr I. J. Cunningham. *Dr C. S. M. Hopkirk. Mr L. K. Whitten. 12. International Dairy Congress Stockholm 15-19 August Mr H. A. Foy. (twelfth session) *Mr F. H. Taylor. Dr F. H. McDowell. Mr G. Appleton. Mr W. G. Whittleston. Mr F. J. T. Grigg. 13. International Organization for Standardization—Technical Conference Covering Rubber Standards The Hague 7—9 September *Dr E. Marsden. 14. International Union of Official Luxembourg 20-24 September *Mr A. N. Reid. Travel Organizations (fourth conference) 15. South Pacific Commission (fourth session) Noumea .. 22-31 October *Mr C. G. R. Mackay. *Lt.-Col. F. W. Voelcker, 16. International Congress of Paris 3-10 November *Dr C. S. M. Hopkirk. Animal Husbandry 17. Wool Study Group London 7-9 November Mr H. E. Davis. 18. Association of Military Washington 10-12 November Col. J. E. Caughey. Surgeons of the United States 19. European Customs Union Brussels .. 14-17 November *Mr W. G. Lowrie (ObStudy Group server) . 20. International Exhibitions Bureau (t wenty-fourth session) Paris 14 November 1 *Mr T. P. Davin (Observer) . * Members of the staff of External Affairs Department or of a New Zealand overseas diplomatic Mission.

APPENDIX 4 PUBLICATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Publication No. Agreement between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Australia on Social Security ... ... 77 The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization : Report of the New Zealand Delegation to the Third Session of the General Conference, held at Beirut, Lebanon, from 17 November-11 December, 1948 ... ... ... ... 78 Meeting of Prime Ministers, April, 1949 : Text of Final Communique Issued at the Conclusion of the Meeting of Prime Ministers, held at London from 22-27 April, 1949, together with Press Statement by the Right Hon. P. Fraser ... ... 79 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations : Report of the New Zealand Delegation on the Fourth Session held at Washington, D.C., 15-29 November, 1948 ... ... 80 International Wheat Agreement as Drawn Up at the International Wheat Conference from 26 January-23 March, 1949 ... 81 The United.Nations : Report of the New Zealand Delegation on the Second Part of the Third Regular Session of the General Assembly held at New York, 15 April-18 May, 1949 ... 82 Annual Report of the Department of External Affairs, 1 April, 1948-31 March, 1949 83 Exchange of Notes Between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of the French Republic Concerning Air Traffic Rights in the South Pacific ... ... ... ... 84 Exchange of Notes Between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Norway Concerning the Mutual Abolition of Visas ... ... ... ... ... ... 85

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DEPARTMENT of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH, 1950, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1950 Session I, A-01

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DEPARTMENT of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH, 1950 Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1950 Session I, A-01

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DEPARTMENT of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH, 1950 Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1950 Session I, A-01

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DEPARTMENT of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH, 1950 Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1950 Session I, A-01

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DEPARTMENT of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH, 1950 Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1950 Session I, A-01

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