The Ninth International Conference of American States is to be held in
Bogotá next December. I attach the Report on the Program of the Bogotá
Conference approved by the Governing Board of the Pan American Union. This Report requests
that the American governments transmit to the Union on or before May 20:
May I have your views and any specific suggestions with respect to the
program of the Conference? I am making a similar request of Messrs.
Clayton and Hackworth.5
[Annex]
Report of the Special Committee on the
Program of the Ninth International Conference of American
States
Pursuant to the action taken by the Governing Board at its meeting of
February 6th, preliminary studies have been undertaken looking
toward the formulation of the program of the Ninth International
Conference of American States. As a first step in the preparation of
the program the undersigned beg to submit the following conclusions
for the consideration and approval of the Governing Board:
- 1.
- That, in accordance with the recommendations of the Eighth
International Conference of American States6 and the Inter-American Conference on Problems
of War and Peace,7 the program of
the
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Ninth
International Conference of American States be limited to
topics relating to the larger aspects of inter-American
policy and the structural organization of the inter-American
system.
- 2.
- That the attached preliminary list of topics, referred to
the Bogotá Conference by previous inter-American assemblies,
be forwarded to the Governments for observation and
comment.
- 3.
- That, in transmitting their views on the attached list,
the Governments be requested to submit such additional
topics as in their opinion might be included in the agenda,
within the criterion set forth in paragraph 1 above.
- 4.
- That the views of the Governments on the attached list,
and the additional topics which they may wish to propose, be
communicated to the Pan
American Union on or before May 20, 1946, in order that the
undersigned Committee may proceed with the formulation of a
definitive project of program.
The above recommendations are based on the following considerations
and antecedents:
Resolution IX of the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and
Peace stipulated that the International Conferences of American
States
shall be the inter-American organ entrusted with the
formulation of general inter-American policy and the
determination of the structure and functions of
inter-American instruments and agencies.
The Eighth International Conference of American States also
recommended that
in the programs of future International Conferences of
American States preference be given to questions relating to
the maintenance of peace and to those which should regulate
the general political relations of the American
Republics.
It is on the basis of these recommendations that the Committee
proposes that the program of the Bogotá Conference be limited to
topics relating to the larger aspects of inter-American policy and
the organization of the inter-American system.
Topics Referred to Bogotá by
Previous Inter-American Conferences
The attached list of topics for possible inclusion in the program of
the Ninth International Conference of American States is based
wholly on subjects which have been referred to Bogotá by the Eighth
International Conference of American States and the Inter-American
Conference on Problems of War and Peace.
Topic 1.—Reorganization of the Inter-American System—is included
pursuant to Resolution IX of the Inter-American Conference on
Problems of War and Peace. It also includes and will permit the
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consideration of the
Colombian-Dominican project on an Association of American Nations,
which was referred to Bogotá by the Eighth International Conference
of American States.
Topic 2.—Inter-American Peace System—was referred to Bogotá by the
Eighth Conference of Lima as well as by the Conference of Mexico. It
is in reality a part of the general problem of reorganization of the
Inter-American System, but because of the importance of the subject
is included in this list as a separate topic.
Topic 3.—Reports of the Inter-American Juridical Committee—is
intended to cover projects and reports which were referred for
preparation and study to the Inter-American Juridical Committee by
the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace, with the
request that the conclusions of the Committee be submitted to the
Bogotá Conference. These include the Ecuadoran project on the
abolition of the recognition of de facto
governments; the Guatemalan and Venezuelan projects on cultural
relations and peaceful orientation; and the formulation of an
Inter-American Charter of Social Guarantees. It is unknown what form
these studies and projects will take, and for this reason topic 3
has been formulated in general terms, sufficiently broad to cover
any report that may emanate from the Juridical Committee.
Topic 4.—Statutes of the Inter-American Commission of Women—was
referred to Bogotá by the Eighth International Conference of
American States.
If the foregoing plan of procedure meets with the approval of the
Governing Board, the undersigned will proceed with the formulation
of the program of the Bogotá Conference immediately on receipt of
the observations and suggestions of the Governments.
Respectfully submitted,8
February 20, 1946.
