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IV. The Commission recommends that the Council of Foreign Ministers gives an opportunity to a representative of the People's Federative Republic of Yugoslavia to present his views before final decision is reached. The Commission likewise recommends that a representative of Italy be heard by the Council of Foreign Ministers. U.S.S.R. Proposal (Points 5 and 6) 5. The Governor shall be responsible for the observance of the Statute of the Free Territory. 6. Legislative authority shall be exercised by a popular assembly elected by means of universal, equal, direct, and secret suffrage, irrespective of sex, on the basis of proportional representation. ITALIAN COLONIES The settlement of the question of the Italian colonies was one in which New Zealand had the greatest interest. Our troops had played a significant part in the liberation of Libya. The security of British Commonwealth communications in the Mediterranean is of direct concern to us. we are particularly interested in the early establishment of the trusteeship system of the United Nations. As in the case of Trieste, the Council of Foreign Ministers had failed to reach any final solution on the future of the Italian colonies, and their decision on this matter was contained in Article 17 of the draft treaty and in the declaration of the Four Powers( 1 ). The essential feature of Article 17 is that the Big Four shall have another year in which to dispose of " the Italian colonies, and if they fail to do so, then the question of the settlement is handed over to the General Assembly.

(!) Article 17 : (1) Italy renounces all right and title to the Italian territorial possessions in Africa— i.e., Libya, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland. (2) Pending their final disposal, the said possessions shall continue under their present administration. (3) The final disposal of these possessions shall be determined jointly by the Governments of the U.S.S.R., United Kingdom, U.S.A., and France within one year of the coming into force of the present Treaty, in the manner laid down in the joint declaration of [Date"] issued by the said Governments. Draft Declaration of the Four Powers on Italian Colonies. —(1) The Governments of the U.S.S.R., U.S.A., United Kingdom, and France agree that they will, within one year from the coming into force of the peace treaty with Italy bearing [Date], jointly determine the final disposal of Italy's territorial possessions in Africa, to which, in accordance with Article .... of the Treaty, Italy renounces all right and title. (2) The final disposal of the territories concerned and the appropriate adjustment of their boundaries shall be made by the Four Powers in the light of the wishes and welfare of the inhabitants and the interests of peace and security, taking into consideration the views of other interested Governments, and the Four Powers agree to accept the recommendations. (3) If in respect to any of these territories the Four Powers are unable to agree upon their disposal within one year from the date of the coming into force of the present treaty, the matter shall be referred to the General Assembly of the United Nations for a recommendation and to take appropriate measures for giving effect to it. (4) The Deputies of the Foreign Ministers shall continue the consideration of the question of the disposal of the former Italian colonies with a view to submitting to the Council of Foreign Ministers their recommendations on this matter. They shall also send out commissions of investigation to any of the former Italian colonies in order to supply the Deputies with the necessary data on this question and to ascertain the views of the local population.