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After considering the report of its Human Rights Commission, the Economic and Social Council nominated the members of the Sub-Commission on Freedom of Information and of the Press —the function of which is, in the first instance, to consider what rights, obligations, and practices should be included in the concept of freedom of information —and requested the Sub-Commission to prepare a draft agenda for the Conference on Freedom of Information proposed by the General Assembly. The Council discussed and outlined the procedure for drafting an International Bill of Rights. It also named the members of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. The Council resolved that the functions of the Commission on the Status of Women should be to prepare recommendations and reports on promoting women's rights in the political, economic, civil, social, and educational fields, and recommendations on urgent problems to implement the principle that men and women shall have equal rights. Directions were given for advancing the work of the Commission. The report of the Economic and Employment Commission raised questions of direct interest and importance to New Zealand, and the New Zealand delegate took a leading part in the discussions on them. He stressed that full employment was bound up with the most effective utilization of the world's natural resources and of the products resulting from the association of man's labour with those resources. Only by a global treatment' of the world economy could the ideals of the United Nations be achieved. The resolutions finally adopted by the Council embody in a large measure the views advanced by the New Zealand delegate. The Commission is requested to investigate and report on the most appropriate forms of international action in order to make better use of the world's human and material resources, and thus to promote higher standards of living, particularly in undeveloped and under-developed areas ; to initiate regular reports on world ■economic conditions and trends, with analyses of the factors involved and recommendations as to desirable action ; and to report on the most appropriate forms of international action to maintain world full employment and economic stability. The Council recorded that technical and other assistance to under-developed countries should not be used for the purpose of exploitation or of obtaining political and other advantages exclusively for countries rendering such assistance. It gave directions to the SecretaryGeneral on the provision of expert advice to member Governments. Arrangements were made to initiate the study of problems of balances of payments. Certain matters arising out of the work of the Preparatory Committee for ITO were considered and the Secretary-General was requested to appoint a Committee, pending the establishment of ITO, to study and to facilitate inter-governmental consultation or action on commodity problems. In accordance with the recommendation of the General Assembly, the Council established an Economic Commission for Europe and an Economic Commission for Asia ■and the Far East. Each Commission is to initiate and participate in measures for facilitating concerted action for the economic reconstruction of the areas concerned, for raising their level of economic activity, and for maintaining and strengthening the economic relations of the countries in each area, both among themselves and with other countries of the world. The terms of reference for the Commission for Asia and the Far East are to be discussed further at the next session of the Council. The report of the Transport and Communications Commission recommended the calling of a conference to consider technical matters associated with shipping and to create a permanent Inter-governmental Maritime Organization. There was some question whether this would not involve an undue multiplication of specialized agencies and whether such an organization could deal with discriminatory shipping practices. The New Zealand delegate moved that the Conference should be directed not to establish, but to consider the establishment of a permanent organization and to consider whether the purposes of the organization, if established, should include the removal or prevention of unfair restrictive practices by shipping concerns, which might well, he suggested, be dealt with by the proposed ITO. These motions were accepted by the Council. The decision of the United States Government not to invite Franco Spain to the Radio and

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