710.Consultation (2)A/47
Memorandum by the Acting Chief of the Division of the American Republics (Bonsai)9
RA10 concurs in Dr. Kelchner’s proposal for establishing the Inter-American Commission for Territorial Administration (under the Convention of Habana) as set forth in his attached memorandum.11
It is worth noting that the following republics which have designated members for the Emergency Committee (Under the Act of Habana) have not yet ratified the Convention and therefore are not entitled to designate representatives to sit on the Commission:
- Bolivia
- Cuba
- Nicaragua.
The following republics have neither ratified the Convention nor designated representatives to sit on the Emergency Committee:
- Chile
- Paraguay
- Uruguay.
The passage in the Convention of Habana which provides for the creation of the Commission reads as follows:
“A commission to be known as the ‘Inter-American Commission for Territorial Administration’ is hereby established, to be composed of a representative from each one of the States which ratifies this convention; it shall be the international organization to which this convention refers. Once this convention has become effective, any country which ratifies it may convoke the first meeting proposing the city in which it is to be held. The Commission shall elect its chairman, complete its organization and fix its definitive seat.”
The question of whether it would be desirable to convoke a meeting of the Commission appears to depend largely on the status of relations with the Vichy Government.
Note: RA understands that the Mexican Government ratified the Convention last month, though its instrument of ratification has not yet been deposited with the Pan American Union.