Department of Labor, and Miss Dorothy Fosdick of the State Department Division of International Organization Affairs. As at San Francisco, the delegates served on various committees; Mrs. Roosevelt was a member of the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee, which dealt with the problems of refugees and of general relief. (For full list of women delegates and advisers, see Appendix, p. 109.) Debate on Women in the Assembly, February 13, 1946 At the request of the French delegation, the question of participation of women in United Nations conferences was placed on the Assembly agenda. The General Committee considered this, but decided that while the contribution of women to delegations was of great value, it would in principle be inadvisable for the General Assembly to make any definite recommendations to nations as to their appointments. However, the Committee recommended that the General Assembly discuss the participation of women in the United Nations, and a debate on this subject took place on February 13. The floor was first taken by M. Paul Boncour, the leading member of the French delegation. In view of the subject under discussion, he yielded first place to Mrs. Roosevelt. She spoke briefly and presented an "Open Letter to the Women of the World," which had been drawn up and signed by the women delegates and advisers at the Assembly. This letter noted the participation of women as delegates and advisers in this Assembly and called on governments of the world to encourage women to take a more active part in national and international affairs. Speeches on the position of women and the importance of their being members of their countries' delegations were made by Miss Bernardino (Dominican Republic), Mrs. Dalen (Norway), Mrs. Verwey (Netherlands), M. Paul Boncour (France), Mr. Fraser (New Zealand), Mr. Fusco (Uruguay), and Mr. Noel-Baker (United Kingdom). The full text of these speeches and the text of the "Open Letter" and the list of its signers appear in the Appendix, page 69 and following. Creation of Subcommission on Status of Women During the discussion in the Assembly, Mr. Fraser (New Zealand) stated the intention of the Economic and Social Council (see paragraph next below) to establish a Subcommission on the Status of Women within its Commission on Human Rights. The resolution taking this action was passed in the Economic and Social Council on February 16. The full text of the resolution by which the Economic and Social Council established the Commission on Human Rights and the Subcommission on the Status of Women appears in the Appendix, page 80 and following. Organization of Commissions Under Economic and Social Council The Economic and Social Council referred to (called for brevity the ECOSOC) was holding its first meetings in London during part of the General Assembly sessions. Under the Charter provision enabling it to establish various commissions "in economic and social fields and for the promotion of human rights" (Charter, art. 68), the ECOSOC created at this time six commissions the Economic and Employment Commission, the Temporary Social Commission, the Statistical Commission, the Commission on Human Rights, the Temporary Transport and Communications Commission, and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. To expedite organization of these commissions, and the Subcommission on the Status of Women as well, it was decided that each of them should consist temporarily of a nuclear group of nine members to be named, in the capacity of individuals, by governments. Under this plan it was possible for each government to be represented on only three of the commissions then set up. The United States asked for membership on the Commission on Human Rights, to which Mrs. Roosevelt was appointed, on the Statistical Commission, and on the Economic and Employment Commission.10 Communications From Women's Organizations Although consultation by the Economic and Social Council with non-governmental organizations is provided for in Article 71 of the Charter, the full machinery for this purpose had not yet been worked out (see p. 66). Hence, numerous communications from national and international organizations were addressed directly to the President of the General Assembly or to other officers of the United Nations. These included a resolution from British women's organizations urging, under appropriate Charter provisions, a draft convention to remove discriminations against 10 The method of appointment of these initial commission members was as follows: The ECOSOC invited each member to make one nomination for each of two or three commissions. Members were free to nominate nationals of other countries, and in some cases did so. The ECOSOC subcommittee handling this matter then agreed on a selected list, which was approved by the full Council. The Commission on Narcotic Drugs was an exception to the "nuclear" plan; because of its particular functions it was clear which countries would most suitably compose its permanent membership. 744732°-47-3 women. (For text, see Appendix, p. 68.) Later, when the report of the plan for the Subcommission on Status of Women reached America, the representatives of women's organizations that had been most actively interested sent to the President of the Economic and Social Council a statement expressing pleasure at this plan and urging that the Subcommission consider the economic and social opportunities of women in their broadest application, as well as the legal status of women. PART III. THE UNITED NATIONS SUBCOMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN The Subcommission on the Status of Women held its first meetings April 29-May 13, 1946, at Hunter College, New York City, where temporary United Nations headquarters had been established." The Human Rights Commission, through which it was to report to the Economic and Social Council, also met at this time, as did also several other commissions of the ECOSOC, including the Temporary Social Commission. (For a list of women members of the various nuclear commissions of the ECOSOC, see Appendix, p. 109.) MEMBERSHIP The United States was not a member of the Subcommission on the Status of Women, because of the limited number of commissions on which any country could be represented, and because the United States had asked for membership on other commissions (see p. 25). The members of the Subcommission on Status of Women who sat at this first session, and those who were initially appointed but were unable to attend, were as follows: China-Mrs. Way Sing New (replacing first appointee, Miss Chile (Miss Gabriela Mistral appointed, but resigned). Dominican Republic-Miss Minerva Bernardino, vice chair man.12 France-Mme. Marie Hélène Lefaucheux (replacing first ap- India-Mrs. Hansa-Mehta (replacing first appointee, Rani Lebanon-Miss Angela Jurdak, rapporteur.12 Poland-Miss Fryderyka Kalinowska. USSR (No delegate appointed). Members ex officio from Human Rights Commission (with no vote on Subcommission on Status of Women): Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt (U. S. A.). (Also chairman of the Human Rights Commission. See Appendix, p. 109.) 11 These turned out to be its only meetings, since it was superseded by the full Commission on Status of Women (see pp. 30, 94-95). 12 As elected by the Subcommission at its first meeting April 29, 1946. Its secretary was Mrs. Janine Bernheim, Assistant Secretary Miss Catherine Rolfe. Mrs. Begtrup was a substitute delegate from her country to the League of Nations Assembly in 1938. M. Dusan Brkic (Yugoslavia). M. René Cassin (France). (Formerly a member of League of RECOMMENDATIONS FROM UNITED STATES WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS All members of the United Nations, whether or not they were members of the nuclear groups, were invited to make suggestions on the agenda and plans for the commissions and the subcommission. Hence the women's organizations in the United States that had met after the San Francisco Conference (see p. 19) reviewed their earlier recommendations and defined the function, program, and procedure they believed desirable for the Commission on Status of Women. There still was concern that the work for the status of women and an interest in women's needs should permeate all United Nations activities rather than become concentrated too exclusively in any single organ of the United Nations. A report of this conference group on March 29, 1946, states this concern as follows: "The fundamental objective of the Subcommission should be conceived of as increasing the effectiveness of the commissions and specialized agencies which are concerned with such fields as employment, labor standards, education, health, social welfare, etc. The Subcommission can play a unique role in appraising programs in these fields from the point of view of recommending approaches, including the incorporation of standards and general principles, which would help remove the legal and customary handicaps imposed upon women. This would constitute a significant contribution toward helping achieve success in each of these fields. This concept places a premium on cooperation and coordination, and minimizes duplication." At a later meeting, held just prior to the session of the Subcommission, the group further defined the basic objectives and procedures they thought applicable, as follows: "The objective of the Subcommission on the Status of Women is to remove discriminations against women wherever they exist, and to equip women, through suffrage and through participation in every phase of national and international life, to maintain their own status and carry effectively their responsibilities as individuals and citizens. |