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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.