710 Consultation/6–2747

Statement by Mr. William Dawson, United States Representative at the Meeting of the Governing Board of the Pan American Union

1.
My Government shares the desire of the Representative from Colombia and of all of us that the forthcoming Rio Conference be a [Page 7] significant one and that it complete its labors without lengthy and unproductive debate. To that end my Government is in full agreement that it would be helpful to have a further preliminary exchange of views to help crystallize our agreement on the basic principles which the proposed treaty should contain.
2.
My Government likewise feels that the Governing Board is the most adequate forum through which this procedure can be carried out. The work already performed through the Board by the Special Committee appointed to analyze the proposals submitted for the treaty, and embodied in its Report approved by the Board on May 22, 1946,12 not only proves the effectiveness of the Board in performing this function, but provides a convenient point of departure for our future labors.
3.
I feel sure that we shall encounter no great difficulties in our discussions. The basic framework for the treaty is contained in two great international instruments to which all our governments have adhered: the Act of Chapultepec and the Charter of the UN. Our task is the comparatively simple one of converting the war time and temporary Act of Chapultepec into a permanent treaty—a treaty consistent with the subsequently adopted Charter of the UN. The negotiation of such a treaty is the sole item on the Rio de Janeiro agenda.
Within these terms of reference, and with the spirit of friendly and frank cooperation which characterizes our meetings, I am confident we can assure a successful Conference.
  1. For text, see Report of the Delegation of the United States of America, Appendix 3, pt. 3, p. 172.