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UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND EMPLOYMENT PART I.—INTRODUCTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE The Economic and Social Council at its First Session resolved on 18 February 1946 to call an International Conference on Trade and Employment for the purpose of promoting the expansion of production, exchange and consumption of goods. At the same time the Council constituted a Preparatory Committee to elaborate for the Conference an annotated draft agenda, including a draft convention, taking into account suggestions which might be submitted by the Council itself or by any member of the United Nations. The Council also charged the Preparatory Committee with presenting recommendations regarding the date and place of the Conference on Trade and Employment and which States, if any, non-members of the United Nations, should be invited to the Conference. 2. STAGES IN THE WORK OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE The First Session of the Preparatory Committee was held in London from 15 October to 26 November 1946. In the course of this Session, a draft Charter for an International Trade Organization was prepared and embodied in a report which was distributed as document E/PC/T/33 and published. The First Session appointed a Drafting Committee to meet as soon as possible after the First Session for the purpose of editing the draft Charter produced in London. The Drafting Committee met in New York from 20 January to 25 February 1947 and recorded the results of its work in a report which was distributed as document E/PC/T/34 and later published. The Second Session of the Preparatory Committee was convened at the European Office of the United Nations in Geneva on 10 April 1947. During the course of this Session, the Preparatory Committee transmitted to the Fifth Session of the Economic and Social Council an interim report indicating the proposed outlines of the annotated draft agenda and convention which were being prepared for the full Conference and presenting recommendations concerning the date and place