501.BD/2–1746: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Stettinius) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 17—2:41 p.m.]
1998. For Wilcox. Delun 355. Drafting Committee on Trade Conference resolution reached quick agreement on Saturday on text quoted below. Practically all of preamble is omitted as having served [Page 1291] a useful purpose in initial stages but as being unnecessary for final recitation. Resolution comes before Council Monday afternoon. No discussion in full Council yet as to names of additional number of countries to be added to paragraph (f).
“The Economic and Social Council considering it essential that the cooperative economic measures already taken be supplemented by further international measures dealing directly with trade barriers and discriminations which stand in the way of an expansion of multilateral trade and by an undertaking on the part of nations to seek full employment, therefore
- (a)
- Decides to call an international conference on trade and employment in the latter part of 1946, for the purpose of promoting the expansion of production, exchange and consumption of goods.
- (b)
- Constitutes a Preparatory Committee to elaborate an annotated draft agenda including a draft convention for consideration by the conference, taking into account suggestions which may be submitted to it by the Economic and Social Council or by any member of the United Nations.
- (c)
- Suggests, as a basis of discussion for the Preparatory
Committee, that the agenda include the following topics:
- (I)
- International agreement relating to the achievement and maintenance of high and stable levels of employment and economic activity.
- (II)
- International agreement relating to regulations, restrictions and discriminations affecting international trade.
- (III)
- International agreement relating to restrictive business practices.
- (IV)
- International agreement relating to intergovernmental commodity arrangements.
- (V)
- Establishment of an international trade organization, as a specialized agency of the United Nations, having responsibilities in the fields of (II), (III) and (IV) above.
- (d)
- Requests the Preparatory Committee, when considering the foregoing items, to take into account the special conditions which prevail in countries whose manufacturing industry is still in its initial stages of development, and the questions that arise in connection with commodities which are subject to special problems of adjustment in international markets.
- (e)
- Requests the Preparatory Committee to report to a subsequent session of the Council recommendations as to the date and place of the conference, the draft agenda including the draft convention, and as to what states, if any, not members of the United Nations, should be invited to the conference on trade and employment.
- (f)
- Appoints as members of the Preparatory Committee the representatives of the governments of the following countries: Australia, Belgium-Luxembourg, Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, USSR, the United States, the United Kingdom.”