1948. A convention, based on a draft prepared by the United Nations Maritime Consultative Council, was drawn up and opened for signature and acceptance on March 6, 1948. This constitution will become effective when twenty one states, seven of which must have a total tonnage of at least one million gross tons of shipping each, have become parties to the Convention. Until the instrument becomes effective a Preparatory Committee (PCIMCO) is engaged in the interim work.

The structure of the organization will include four primary agencies. The Assembly will be the representative body, meeting at least every two years. It will adopt the budget, elect the members of the Maritime Safety Committee, four members of the Council, and may, upon recommendations of the Council, establish whatever subsidiary organs are deemed necessary. It will also recommend to Members maritime safety regulations or amendments to such regulations. The Council will comprise sixteen members, with due representation for states of principal maritime importance. It will perform all functions of the organization between sessions except the recommendations on maritime safety regulations. The Council will also appoint the SecretaryGeneral with the approval of the Assembly. The Maritime Safety Committee will include fourteen members elected from among the states of principal maritime importance. Among its duties will be the promotion of coordination of activities in the fields of shipping, aviation, telecommunications and meteorology as they relate to safety and rescue. The Secretariat is to consist of a Secretary-General, a Secretary of the Maritime Safety Committee and the requisite staff.

The Preparatory Committee, now in existence, is composed of twelve states designated by the Maritime Conference as members of the first Council of IMCO. The Transport and Communications Division of the United Nations Department of Economic Affairs acts as secretariat. Permanent headquarters of IMCO will be in London.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE ORGANIZATION

(not yet in existence)

Interim Commission of the International
Trade Organization

Headquarters: Palais des Nations,
Geneva, Switzerland

Executive Secretary: Eric Wyndham White

The International Trade Organization (ITO) is not yet in existence as an official agency, but when its charter is ratified it is expected to become an important link in promoting cooperative measures for the expansion of international trade, the development of backward areas and the improvement of living standards throughout the world. The origin of this agency dates back to an ECOSOC resolution of February 18, 1946, which

recommended the calling of an international conference on trade and employment. This resulted in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment convened at Havana from November 1947 to March 1948. Fifty-seven nations attended this conference and fifty-three of these signed the Final Act authenticating the text of the Havana Charter, which will become the official instrument of the organization when it is ratified by the requisite number of Members.

The specific aims of ITO cover the broad area of international economic relationships. Among these are the promotion of industrial and general economic development (particularly in countries having economically under-developed areas); promotion of reciprocal reductions in tariffs and the elimination of discriminatory treatment in international commerce; the maintenance of high levels of employment and economic activity; the increase of production, consumption, and the exchange of goods; facilitation of the solution of problems relating to international trade in the fields of employment, economic development, commercial policy, business practices and commodity policy.

The structure of ITO will provide for a Conference, an Executive Board and a Secretariat. The Conference will be the main governing organ, meeting annually, and having equal representation of all Members. It will be granted final authority in formulating policy. Decisions will be taken by majority, with certain exceptions requiring either a two-thirds or three-fourths majority.

The Executive Board will consist of eighteen members representing all stages of economic development within ITO membership. The Board will include the eight states of principal economic importance, with the United States having permanent membership. The remaining ten members will be elected by two-thirds majority. The Board will meet frequently and will be empowered to set up such commissions and other units as necessary for implementing the ITO program.

Until ITO becomes fully constituted an Interim Commission (ICITO) of fifty-two members directs its affairs. This Commission, in turn, has delegated its powers to an Executive Committee of eighteen members. The Executive Committee directs the Secretariat of the Interim Committee in the day to day work of the Commission. The permanent Secretariat of ITO will be headed by a Director-General with headquarters in Geneva.

THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE

Members of the Preparatory Committee of ITO formulated an international trade agreement among themselves while the preparation for the formal organization was being completed. These discussions have resulted in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), an international trade agreement which, although not a specialized agency of the United Nations, is serviced

by the Secretariat of ICITO and in its operation and objectives stands close to the United Nations and the specialized agencies. The Contracting Parties, or countries which agreed to the terms of the General Agreement, have taken part in three series of discussions: at Geneva in 1947, at Annecy, France, in 1949 and Torquay, England, in 1950. These deliberations have resulted in

over 150 bilateral agreements among the participating countries. The General Agreement, originally entered into at Geneva, is a framework to protect tariff concessions. More important, it formulates a set of general rules regulating the normal commercial relations among parties to the Agreement. It provides a basis for the extension of tariff reductions throughout the world.

Admited to UN: Nov. 19, 1945.

Capital: Ottawa. Continent: N. Am.

Area: 3,843, 144 sq. miles.

Population: 13,845,000 (1950 estimate).
Language: English and French.

Head of State: Governor-Gen. Field Marshal Viscount Alexander of Tunis.

Prime Min. : Louis Stephen St. Laurent. Foreign Min.: Lester B. Pearson.* Legislature: Two houses -- (1)Senate:102 mems., nominated for life by Governor-Gen.; (2) House of Commons: 255 mems., elected for 5-yr. terms by direct vote.

Monetary unit:Canadian dollar (95.06 U. S. cents).

CHILE

Admitted to UN: Oct. 11, 1945.

Capital: Santiago. Continent: S. Am.

Area: 286, 323 sq. miles.

Population: 5, 764, 650 (1949 estimate).

Language: Spanish.

Head of State: President Gabriel Gonzalez Videla.
Foreign Min. Emanuel Gallagher.
Legislature: Two houses -- (1) Senate:45 mem.s.,

elected by popular vote for 8-yr. term; (2) Chamber of Dptys: 147 mems., elected by popular vote for 4-yr. term.

Monetary unit: Peso (1.411 - 3.215 U. S. cents).

CHINA

(Republic of China)

Admitted to UN: Sept. 28, 1945.

Capital (provisional): Ensui, Formosa.
Continent: Asia.

Area: 2, 279, 134 sq. miles.

Population: 463, 493, 418 (1948 census).
Language: Chinese

President: Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek.
Foreign Min. : George Yeh. *

Admitted to UN: Nov. 5, 1945.

Capital: Bogota. Continent: S. Am.
Area: 439, 714 sq. miles.

Population: 1, 259, 730 (1950 estimate).
Language: Spanish.

Head of State: President Laureano Gomez. Foreign Min. : Gonzalo Restrebo Jaramillo. * Legislature: Two houses - (1) Senate: 63 mems., elected directly for 4-yr. term; (2) House of Representatives: 131 mems., elected directly for 2-yr. term.

Admitted to UN: Oct. 15, 1945.

Capital: Havana. Location: West Indies.
Area: 44, 217 sq. miles.

Population: 5, 295, 000 (1947 estimate).
Language: Spanish.

Head of State: President Carlos Prio Socarras.
Foreign Min. : Ernesto Dihigo. *

Legislature: Two houses (1) Senate:54 mems.,

elected popularly for 8-yr. term; (2) House of Representatives:136 mems., elected popularly for 4-yr. term.

Monetary unit: Peso (100 U. S. cents).

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Adn itted to UN: Oct. 19, 1945.

Capital: Prague. Continent: Europe.
Area: 49, 358 sq. miles.

Population: 12, 519, 000 (1948 estimate).

Language: Czech. and Slovak.

Head of State: President Clement Gottwald.
Foreign Min. : Vilem V. Siroky.

Legislature: Two house Natl. Asmb., elected under a single list vote: (1) Senate, with 8yr. term; (2) Chamber of Dptys, 6-yr. term. Monetary unit: Koruna (2.000 U. S. cents).

DENMARK

Admitted to UN: Oct. 9, 1945.

Capital: Copenhagen. Continent: Europe.