The Arab League Collective Security Pact was signed by the government of Jordan on February 16, 1952.1 The pact had previously been initialed by the six other members of the Arab League and ratified by the governments of Egypt and Syria. Ratification by the governments of Iraq and Jordan followed in March.3 In accordance with Article 13, the treaty would come into effect for the ratifying states fifteen days after receipt by the Secretariat General of instruments of ratification from four states

From May 6 to 10, 1952, the fourteenth meeting of the Caribbean Commission was held in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. Prominent in the commission's deliberations were preparations for the fifth session of the West Indian Conference, scheduled to open in Jamaica in November. The provisional agenda of this conference session, which was to concentrate attention on the subject of industrialization, included the historical background of and agricultural bases for industrialization, the role of governments in promoting industrialization, and vocational training and other measures to increase productivity of labor. The commission was to consider two proposed conferences, one on trade promotion and the other on the timber trade. A report on the status of technical assistance projects also was on the commission's agenda.

Revision of the Italian Peace Treaty; Trieste: Meetings between the United States, United Kingdom and Italy on the administration of Zone A of the Free Territory of Trieste which had begun in London on April 3, 1952 were adjourned April 11 after the three delegations had reviewed the economic, financial and administrative organization of Zone A. On April 16 the meetings were resumed and a drafting committee established. The three powers issued a communication on May 9 announcing new arrangements for the administration of Zone A designed “to give greater practical recognition to the predominantly Italian character of the zone” without prejudicing the ultimate decision on the Free Territory as a whole. The three governments agreed to the appointment by Italy of an Italian political adviser to the Zone Commander with a status similar to that of the political advisers appointed by the United States and United Kingdom.

On April 2, 1952, in letters to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and to the United States Secretary of Defense (Lovett), the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (Eisenhower) asked that steps be taken to assure his release by June 1, 1952. The appointment of General Matthew Ridgway (Supreme Allied Commander, Far East) to succeed as Supreme Commander in Europe was unanimously approved by the NATO Council on April 28; the nomination had been made by the President of the United States (Truman) at the request of the Council. It was simultaneously announced that Alfred M. Greunther would continue in his capacity as Chief of Staff. The change in Supreme Commanders was effected at Rocquencourt on May 30, 1952.

The third survey of European Economic Cooperation prepared for the Council of Europe by the Organization for European Economic Cooperation was published in May 1952. The survey was presented as an interim report since, in accordance with decisions of the Council of OEEC in March 1952, a number of studies had been undertaken by OEEC results of which would not be available for several months.

Meeting on April 4, 1952, the Council of the Organization of American States approved the report of the Committee on Inter-American Organizations and proposed standards for special agreements or arrangements and cooperative relations petween the Council and its organs and non-governmental organizations. The report on the publications and the information program of the Pan American Union submitted by the General Committee was approved; certain duties regarding this program which had been assigned the General Committee in January by the Council were declared no longer within its competence, in view of the changes made in the structure and functions of the committee by the Council in March. Thereupon, the Council established a Special Committee on Publications and Public Information of five members and delegated to it the duties connected with this program approved by the Council in January. Also at this meeting the Council requested the Inter-American Economic and Social Council to prepare the agenda and regulations of the special meeting of the Pan American Highway Congress, taking into account the first draft of the agenda and regulations drawn up by the organizing committee of the congress.

From April 28 to May 7, 1952 the ninth session of the South Pacific Commission was held in Noumea, New Caledonia.1 The session, which was primarily concerned with administrative matters, was under the chairmanship of N. A. J. de Voogd (Netherlands). As a result of agreement by member governments at the eighth session to include Guam and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands within the scope of the Commission, at the ninth session it was agreed unanimously to extend Commission activities to embrace these territories. Assurances of cooperation in Commission activities were given on behalf of both territories by the Acting Senior Commissioner for the United States (Leebrick) and the Secretary of Guam (Herman). Special aspects of its work program were reviewed by the Commission. The printing of two project reports dealing with the area was authorized: one, on economic development of coral atolls covered a survey made for the Commission in 1951 in the Gilbert Islands and the other was concerned with the possibilities of expanding the cacao industry in the area.