Economic and Social Council

Extract

Although no meetings of the Economic and Social Council were held during the period under review, its subsidiary groups were active. The Council itself was scheduled to open its fifth session at Lake Success on July 19, 1947, to consider an agenda of 39 items. Topics for consideration included the reports of the Economic Commissions for Europe and the Far East, the Fiscal and Economic and Employment Commissions, and the International Children's Emergency Fund, a draft convention on the crime of genocide, negotiations with the World Health Organization and the Universal Postal Union, protection of migrant and immigrant labor, and possible establishment of an economic commission for Latin America.

Economic Commission for Europe: The Economic Commission for Europe met in Geneva from May 2 to May 14, and from July 5 to July 16, 1947. At its first session it considered primarily organizational problems, including drawing up rules of procedure, relationship with non-member countries, Allied control authorities, and non-governmental organizations, and the general scope of the Commission's work. The Commission authorized its executive secretary to invite specialized agencies and non-member European nations to participate in its work (with the exception of Franco Spain), and established certain criteria for consultation with non-governmental organizations. It also asked for cooperation by Allied control authorities, although the USSR urged that the question of Germany should be left to the consideration of the Council of Foreign Ministers and Allied Control Council.

At both the first and second sessions considerable discussion arose over voting procedure, with the USSR taking the position that certain categories of questions should be decided by a two-thirds vote, while the United States and Luxembourg insisted that decisions must be on a simple majority basis.