Soon after the conclusion of the trusteeship agreement between the United States and the Security Council, which came into force on July 18, 1947, work was begun on organic legislation for the territory by way of fulfilment of article 12 of the agreement. Such legislation was introduced into the Eightieth Congress which, because of insufficient time, was unable to act on this matter.

With the rapid withdrawal of American armed forces from the Trust Territory, the local administration has been confronted by the need for rehabilitating the native economies of the widely scattered islands which comprise the Trust Territory. One of the most important steps taken in this regard has been the effort to revive and further the fishing industry. This Government announced its policy relating to commercial fishing opportunities in the Trust Territory on September 29, 1948. Fishing opportunities in the territorial waters of the Trust Territory will be equally available to fishing enterprises of all nations, except that the High Commissioner will have discretion in excluding enterprises for reasons of security or for the purpose of carrying out the obligation to promote the advancement of the inhabitants. The taking of fish and the establishment and maintenance of shore facilities will be strictly controlled by the High Commissioner in order that the welfare of the native inhabitants can be safeguarded and the harvesting of the resources can be undertaken along adequate conservational lines. This effort is in keeping with the general policy of this Government to develop the territory in behalf of the local inhabitants.

The first annual report to the United Nations on the administration of the Trust Territory has been prepared by the Department of the Navy. This report is to be transmitted to the United Nations early in 1949.

Non-Self-Governing Territories

The "Declaration Regarding Non-Self-Governing Territories" (chapter XI of the Charter) set forth certain guiding principles for the administration of non-self-governing territories. Furthermore, it obligates those members having responsibilities for such territories to transmit regularly to the Secretary-General for information purposes, subject to such limitations as security and constitutional considerations may require, statistical and other information of a technical nature relating to economic, social, and educational conditions. The development of methods for dealing with this information submitted under article 73 (e) has constituted an important and controversial aspect of United Nations activity during its third

year.

Information submitted on non-self-governing territories is handled in accordance with resolutions of the General Assembly, which has assigned the responsibility for a preliminary review of this information to a "Special Committee on the Transmission of Information Under Article 73 (e) of the Charter". This Committee is empowered to examine the information and, with certain restrictions, make recommendations for the consideration of the General Assembly. During the year 1948, eight Members of the United Nations submitted information in accordance with article 73 (e) of the Charter on some sixty non-self-governing territories. The best use to be made of this annual information has been a continuing problem within the United Nations.

UNITED STATES ACTION IN SUBMITTING

REPORTS

In compliance with the declaration regarding non-self-governing territories contained in chapter XI of the Charter, the United States promptly submitted annual reports to the United Nations on Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands for the fiscal year 1947. Prepared by the territorial governments in collaboration with Federal departments, these reports generally followed a standard form, originally suggested by the United States, which was adopted by the General Assembly on November 3, 1947.

The United States also provided voluntary information called for by the optional part of the standard form on geography, history, people, government, and human rights. The major portion of the standard form, however, requests detailed information on labor and employment conditions, public health and sanitation, housing, welfare and relief, educational policy, agriculture, industry, communications and transport, and banking and credit.

METHOD OF EXAMINING REPORTS

The General Assembly, under resolution 146 (II), adopted November 3, 1947, invited its Fourth Committee to constitute a special committee,

"to examine the information transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter on the economic, social and educational conditions in the NonSelf-Governing Territories, and to submit reports thereon for the consideration of the General Assembly with such procedural recom

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mendations as it may deem fit, and with such substantive recommendations as it may deem desirable relating to functional fields generally but not with respect to individual territories."

The Special Committee, duly established by the General Assembly in 1948, met at Geneva from September 2 to 17, and at Paris on September 23 and 29.

As in the case of last year's Ad Hoc Committee on the same subject, 8 of the 16 members of the Special Committee represented states administering and reporting on non-self-governing territories, and an equal number, elected by the General Assembly, represented nonadministering members. The Committee for 1948 was composed of Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States (administering members), and China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, India, Nicaragua, Sweden, and the U.S.S.R. (nonadministering members). In addition representatives of the following specialized agencies participated in the discussions on matters affecting the work of their organizations: the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labor Office (ILO), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Summaries and analyses of the information on some sixty territories were prepared by the Secretariat. Proceeding on functional lines, the analyses covered economic, health, labor, and educational conditions and social welfare. Information regarding the development of self-governing institutions, voluntarily transmitted by the United States, Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and France (for Morocco and Tunisia), was not analyzed but was included in the summaries prepared by the Secretariat.

In the effort to improve the preparation and use of this information, the Committee made general comments on the analyses for the guidance of the administering authorities and of the Secretariat. These comments included suggestions: (a) for further improvement in the presentation of statistical information; (b) for the preparation of special studies, including those of a long-range nature which might be undertaken in collaboration with the specialized agencies; and (c) for the amplification of information on certain topics in future reports.

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED

The Special Committee, after two weeks of debate in which the United States often played the role of conciliator, adopted four resolutions. These were in turn adopted by the Fourth Committee together with a fifth resolution initiated by the Delegation of India in

the Fourth Committee. In plenary meeting at its Third Regular Session the General Assembly adopted, by large majorities and without change, the five resolutions accepted by the Fourth Committee. The five resolutions deal respectively with:

I. The transmission of information under article 73 (e) of the Charter:

II. The continuation of the Special Committee for 1949;

III. Liaison between the Economic and Social Council and the Special Committee;

IV. Cooperation with the specialized agencies; and

V. Notification to the United Nations when a non-self-governing territory acquires a new constitutional status which, in the view of the administering member, makes the territory no longer non-selfgoverning.

Resolution I, adopted by the Special Committee by a vote of 14 to 1 (U.S.S.R.), registers the consensus of the Committee that previous procedures for the transmission and consideration of information had not worked satisfactorily. It invites the administering members to transmit the most recent information which is at their disposal as early as possible, and at the latest within a maximum period of six months following the expiration of the administrative year in the territories. This system substitutes, in place of the uniform date of June 30 for the receipt of information, a flexible schedule based on the fiscal years of the administering members. Pursuant to this resolution, information on the United States territories will be due on December 31 of each year, since the fiscal year for these territories ends June 30. It is hoped that this revised schedule for the receipt of information will give the Secretariat more time to prepare the summaries and analyses in advance of future Special Committee and General Assembly sessions.

Other provisions of this resolution reduce the reporting burdens of the administering members by requesting them not to report fully each year on all topics of the lengthy standard form, but only on appreciable changes which have occurred during the previous year. Further, for the purpose of evaluating the information transmitted under article 73 (e), the Secretary-General is empowered in the future to use, without prior consent of the government concerned, relevant and comparable official statistical information transmitted to the United Nations or the specialized agencies. This represents a liberalization of last year's resolution on supplemental documents. The Secretary-General is authorized to prepare summaries and analyses of information transmitted during 1949 and after that to do so at three-year intervals, with annual supplements pointing out changes

in statistics and outstanding developments. Finally, those administering authorities which do not feel that they can transmit information on government are invited nonetheless to report on geography, history, peoples, and human-rights problems of the territories.

The United States Delegation to the Special Committee was aware of defects in the former system which did not allow sufficient time for the Secretary-General to prepare the summaries and analyses, the specialized agencies to contribute to the analyses, or the members of the Special Committee to examine the documentation in advance of sessions of the Special Committee and the General Assembly. Accordingly, the United States Delegation introduced a working paper to simplify the procedure and to correct these defects. This paper was well received by the Committee, and parts of it were incorporated in a modified form into the final resolution.

Resolution II, which was adopted by the Special Committee by a vote of 11 to 1 (U.S.S.R.), with 3 abstentions (Belgium, Colombia, France), provides for the continuation of a Special Committee for 1949 without prejudice as to the future. This committee will have the same balanced representation and terms of reference as this year's committee. In addition to the eight administering members, the committee for 1949 includes the following nonadministering states elected by the Fourth Committee on behalf of the General Assembly: Brazil, China, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, India, Sweden, Venezuela, and the U.S.S.R. While certain nonadministering members wished to have the Special Committee established on a permanent basis, some of the administering members preferred the termination of the Special Committee at this Session and the transfer of its functions to the specialized agencies. The United States pressed for the resolution as adopted as a reasonable compromise between these divergent views.

Resolution III is designed to define more precisely the relationship which should exist between the Special Committee and the Economic and Social Council. The resolution was adopted by the Special Committee by a vote of 14 to 0, with 1 abstention (U.S.S.R.).

Resolution IV seeks to insure cooperation between the specialized agencies and the Special Committee on economic, social, and educational matters in the non-self-governing territories. It was accepted by the Special Committee 14 to 0, with the U.S.S.R. abstaining.

Resolution V, initiated by India in the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly and supported by the United States, was adopted 29 to 0, with 17 abstentions. The resolution establishes the principle that the United Nations is entitled to be informed of any change in the constitutional position or status of a non-self-governing territory as the result of which the responsible government concerned