One of the perennial questions before the General Assembly and its Fifth Committee is that of the geographical distribution of the staff of the Secretariat. With the admission of sixteen new African members in 1960 and the sudden interest of the Soviet Union in filling its “quota,” the question took on special interest and urgency in the fifteenth and sixteenth sessions. The Committee of Experts, set up by the General Assembly in 1959 to review the organization and activities of the Secretariat, was asked to consider and make recommendations on certain aspects of the problem. The Fifth Committee spent much of its time during the sixteenth session in discussing the matter, and ended by inviting the Secretary-General to take into account the two draft resolutions introduced and views expressed in the Committee on the question, and to present to the General Assembly at its seventeenth session “a statement of his considered views on how to improve the geographical distribution of the staff of the Secretariat.” The question is, therefore, one which directly and immediately concerns the present position and future development of the Secretariat.

In the sixteen years since the United Nations on the invitation of the United States established its principal headquarters in New York, there have been remarkably few incidents and little publicity in connection with the immunities and privileges of Members' representatives. This is no doubt due not to the clarity or quality of the relevant juridical instruments but to the tact and understanding of all concerned: the United Nations and more particularly its Secretaries-General, the representatives of the Member States and in a very large measure the Department of State and the United States Mission to the United Nations. It was the violent reaction of Chairman N. S. Khrushchev, attending the fifteenth session of the General Assembly as head of the Soviet Union delegation, against the restrictions imposed upon his movements in the United States by the Department of State which drew attention to the question of the rights and privileges of delegations to the United Nations. For the first time the head of the delegation of a great power and a permanent member of the Security Council was subjected to such restrictions. Speaking in the General Assembly, Mr. Khrushchev referred to “the various restrictions of the rights of representatives of States in the United Nations” and the “instances … of the representatives of young African and Asian States being subjected to racial discrimination.” He raised the question “whether or not thought should be given to the choice of another location for the United Nations Headquarters which would better facilitate the effective work of this international organization.”The nature and extent of these restrictions will be discussed below but it may be well to begin with a survey and analysis of the bewildering array of instruments which govern this matter.

The sixteenth session of the General Assembly on December 19, 1961, adopted two complementary resolutions, one on the “Decentralization of the Economic and Social Activities of the United Nations and Strengthening of the Regional Economic Commissions” and the other on “Planning for Economic Development.” The latter, inter alia, recommended the establishment of regional development and planning institutes “closely linked to the respective regional economic commissions.” As in many national administrations, the forces for centralization and for decentralization of the administration of the United Nations programs in the economic and social fields will no doubt continue to operate in the years to come. But the adoption of the resolutions referred to above tips the scale in favor of decentralization. It means recognition of the ascendancy of forces which have become increasingly apparent in the world organization, particularly since the recent strides towards universality of membership.

In one of his first declarations as Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld said that no part of his task was “more challenging than the one which consists in trying to develop all the potentialities of that unique diplomatic instrument which the Charter has created in the institution called the Secretary-General of the U.N.”

Report to the General Assembly: The fifth report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the UN General Assembly covered the period from July 1, 1960, to June 30, 1961. The report stated that most of the Agency's programs were now firmly established and that the Agency had reached the stage where it was capable of further developing certain of its operations. The direction and scope of such development would be determined largely by the rate of advance of nuclear technology, by the extent to which the Agency might be able to serve as a means for promoting scientific cooperation between the leading nuclear powers, and by the support which it received from its members. Events of interest in the Agency's work in the last year included the completion of studies of nuclear power prospects in Finland and the Philippines, technical conferences on the economics and technology of small and medium power reactors, and conferences on nuclear ships. The Agency was able to report reasonable progress in promoting the uses of radioisotopes and radiation under safe conditions in the less developed areas. Progress had also been made in giving help or guidance to member states on questions of safety and pretection against radiation hazards. The Agency had paid special attention to establishing standards of basic radiological safety, safety of reactors, and standards for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste. Under the scientific and technical information program, the Agency had held thirteen meetings in the period under review. In 1960 the Agency had made available an estimated $2,560,000 for technical assistance in the form of equipment, experts, and fellowships.

The Security Council, from its 999th to 1006th meetings, March 28–April 9, 1962, considered the letter of March 20, 1962, from the permanent representative of Syria requesting the Security Council to consider the grave situation arising from the acts of aggression committed by Israel on the night of March 16–17, 1962, on the Syrian frontier and in the demilitarized zone. The Council considered simultaneously the letter of March 21, 1962, of the permanent representative of Israel bringing to its attention a recurrence of acts of aggression and provocation by Syrian armed forces, following on the previous aggressive actions reported in a letter of March 19, 1962. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Farid Chehlaoui, representative of the Syrian Arab Republic, and Mr. Michael Comay, representative of Israel, took places at the Council table.

The resumed 32nd session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), comprising the 1183d–1186th meetings inclusive, was held in New York on December 21 and 22, 1961, under the presidency of Mr. E. Penteado (Brazil). In the 1183d meeting Mr. Franzi (Italy) introduced a draft resolution proposing that the Republic of San Marino be admitted to the Convention on Road Traffic signed at Geneva on September 19, 1959. The resolution was adopted unanimously. The delegate from Afghanistan then submitted a draft resolution proposing the inclusion of the Mongolian People's Republic in the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE). The draft resolution was adopted with no dissenting votes. Resolutions inviting Switzerland's attendance in a consultative capacity at sessions of ECAFE and the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA) were unanimously approved. A resolution was adopted maintaining the present membership of the executive committee of the Program of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees until the General Assembly had decided on the future of the Office of the High Commissioner. Mrs. Mironova (Soviet Union) explained her delegation's abstention on the vote for the resolution on the grounds that she saw no reason for the further existence of the executive committee, since all the camps for refugees in Europe would soon be closed and the refugees resettled. She expressed the Soviet delegation's view that the countries where the refugees were living could be made responsible for them.

Case concerning the Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, Limited (Belgium v. Spain): On June 19, 1962, the Belgian government filed with the Registrar of the Court an application instituting new proceedings against Spain on the subject of the Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, Limited. This claim, the subject of which is reparation for the damage caused to a number of Belgian subjects by organs of the Spanish state, had been the subject of earlier proceedings brought before the Court. Because of the possibility of negotiating the issue, the Belgian government had informed the Court that it did not wish to continue proceedings, and the Court on April 10, 1961, had removed the case from its list. The negotiations, however, failed, and the Belgian government had instituted new proceedings.

The annual report of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) pointed out that estimates of the world total volume of agricultural production, excluding mainland China, showed an increase of only one percent in 1960–1961 over the previous year. This was less than the estimated normal population growth of 1.6 percent, although if the last two seasons were taken together, production would appear to have increased slightly faster than population. The main increases in production since 1958–1959 had been primarily in the more developed parts of the world, although in each of the less developed regions the prewar level of per capita output apparently had been reached or exceeded sometime during the postwar period. The Far East (excluding mainland China), where production per head has been the lowest in the world, was estimated to have reached the prewar level in i960. In Africa, in contrast, per capita food production returned to this prewar level soon after the war but appeared to have dropped below it in the year under review. Although Latin America had regained its prewar level between 1956 and 1959, its rapid population growth has caused a sharp drop in per capita output. In the Near East also, per capita production has deteriorated recently, although itremained much higher than before the war.

The sixteenth annual repot of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, covering the fiscal year July 1, 1960, to June 30, 1961, was presented to the Board of Governors on September 19, 1961. The report noted that in the year under review the activities of the International Bank had been part of a broadening stream of financial and technical assistance to the less developed countries. Aid had been provided by: 1) the International Development Association (IDA), an affiliate of the Bank which was designed to aid economic growth by means of credits bearing less heavily on the balance of payments of underdeveloped countries than conventional loans; 2) the Inter-American Development Bank, which attempted to increase the flow of development funds and to coordinate efforts to assist economic development; 3) the UN Special Fund, which had financed pre-investment surveys, in some cases with the International Bank acting as executing agent; and 4) the Development Assistance Group (DAG), which consisted of ten governments that carried on continued consultations—several of these governments had taken steps to facilitate their extension of aid to the less developed countries. The report noted that the Bank had continued to cooperate with the capital markets and with private institutional investors in raising capital for economic development.

The sixteenth annual report of the Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund for the fiscal year ending April 30, 1961, was transmitted to the Chairman of the Board of Governors on June 23, 1961, by Mr. Per Jacobsson, Chairman of the Executive Board. The report stated that in contrast to the year 1959, when virtually all countries had participated in world-wide expansion, the year 1960 and early part of 1961 had presented a less unified picture. For the world as a whole, the expansionary elements had considerably outweighed the contractionary elements. World industrial production, excluding the countries of the Soviet area, had been almost 6 percent greater in 1960 than in 1959, having grown by 10 percent; and the value of world trade had increased by 12 percent, compared with 6 percent in 1959. The stimulus for the rise in world trade had come predominantly from the booming European industrial countries and from Japan, which had increased their imports by nearly 20 percent; there had been a slight decline in imports from the United States and Canada. The imports of the less-industrialized countries had also increased considerably, by some 10 percent. Trade developments during 1960 had improved the basic international payments situation in some respects. Rising exports and slightly declining imports caused an increase in the surplus of private goods and services account in the United States. West Germany's surplus also increased, while France's remained stationary; decreases had been noted in several other industrial countries, in particular Japan and Italy, where the rate of economic expansion had been exceptionally high, and in the United Kingdom, mainly due to the sharp growth of imports associated with their high level of economic activity.

The sixteenth session of the Administrative Council of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was held in Geneva from April 22 to May 20, 1961, under the chairmanship of Mr. Vladimir Senk (Yugoslavia). Mr. Šenk spoke of some of the more important matters which the sixteenth session would have to discuss. He stressed that as the Union came to include more developing countries, technical assistance became increasingly important. He pointed out that, in addition to the help of experts and assistance in the training of their staff, these countries needed aid in obtaining essential materials for the development of their telecommunication networks. He stated that technical assistance in all its forms has gradually become a part of the traditional work of the Union. Turning to financial matters, Mr. Šenk mentioned that it would be necessary to revise the financial regulations of the union.

The report of the Director-General on the activities of the United Nations, Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for 1960 included a discussion of: 1) relations with member states and international organizations; 2) execution of the program; and 3) administrative services. In the first section the Director-General commented that, in 1960, UNESCO's role had assumed its full importance in the collective system of international organizations and that its close cooperation with the UN had resulted in new possibilities for direct, large-scale action.

The ANZUS Council met on May 8–9, 1962, in Canberra, Australia. The ministers expressed their concern at the Soviet refusal to end thermonuclear testing. The ministers of Australia and New Zealand recognized that the absence of such an agreement left the United States with no alternative but to conduct the current series of tests.

On July 20, 1961, Kuwait was admitted to membership in the Arab League as an independent Arab state. Earlier the Iraqi delegates had walked out, alleging that the League was joining with British imperialism. Kuwait was the eleventh state to join the League. The League Council unanimously approved a three-point resolution: 1) the Kuwait government would undertake to request the withdrawal of British troops as soon as possible, and the Iraqi government would undertake not to resort to force; 2) the League would support any wish expressed by Kuwait for unity or union with other League member states, and the League welcomed Kuwait as a member and supported its application for membership in the UN; and 3) the Arab countries undertook to offer effective help to Kuwait to safeguard its independence. An Arab League military mission, led by Lieutenant-General Ahmed Halim Imam, arrived in Kuwait on August 7, 1961; it included representatives of Jordan, Lebanon, the United Arab Republic, and the Arab League secretariat. It was also accompanied by Abdel-Azia Husain, who had represented Kuwait at the recent Arab League meetings and was expected to be Kuwait's first ambassador in Cairo. The mission was the outcome of the July 20 decision of the League to give Kuwait all effective aid necessary to preserve its independence on condition that it asked for the withdrawal of British troops. On August 13, the paper work necessary to bring Kuwait under the protection of the Arab League and enable the British forces then in Kuwait to leave was completed.

The tenth session of the Ministerial Council of the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) was held in London on April 30 and May 1, 1962. The Council exchanged views on international developments since its last meeting, and reported steady progress. The ministers were agreed that the free nations should continue their efforts to achieve disarmament with adequate provision for international inspection. Pending a disarmament agreement, however, the CENTO countries had to rely upon their common defense against the dangers which threatened them. The ministers therefore considered the progress made in improving the defensive strength of the alliance, as reported to them by the Military Committee, particularly with regard to increase of coordination and the improvement of joint facilities between existing defense forces.

Communist Party and government delegates from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union attended a meeting in Moscow of the Council for Economic Mutual Assistance (COMECON) on June 7 and 8, 1962. It was reported that the delegations had decided to support the proposal for an international trade conference which would embrace all countries without discrimination. The delegations also expressed their desire for the further expansion of foreign trade with capitalist countries. A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting said that the Council agreed that its main activity in the immediate future would be coordination of the long-term and current economic plans of the COMECON countries. The meeting deemed it necessary that special attention be paid to: the speeding up of specialization and cooperation of production, the maximum development of raw material, fuel, and power supplies, the necessity of beginning in the near future the coordination of principal capital investments in the extracting and processing branches of industry, and the further widening and deepening of coordination of scientific and technical research. It was agreed that, whenever necessary, the members would set up joint enterprises, joint scientific research centers, and joint projecting and designing offices. During the course of the meeting the Mongolian government was admitted as a member of COMECON.

The eighth joint session between the members of the Consultative Assembly and the European Parliamentary Assembly (EPA) took place in Strasbourg on September 19 and 20, 1961, under the joint presidency of Mr. Hans Furler (German Christian Democrat), president of EPA, and Mr. Per Federspiel (Danish Moderate Liberal), president of the Consultative Assembly. The debates opened with the report of Mr. P. J. Kapteyn (Dutch Labor), on behalf of EPA, and the Consultative Assembly's reply, presented by Mr. Michel Junot (French Independent). Mr. Kapteyn, speaking of the British approach to the Common Market, stressed that two world wars had brought Great Britain much nearer to continental Europe.

The European Community is the collective title of the three supra-national institutions—the European Coal and Steel Community, the Common Market, and Euratom—set up by Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Luxembourg (the Six). Each of the three institutions is separate and has its own executive, whose task is to ensure proper functioning and development. Ultimate authority is exercised by the Council of Ministers of each.

The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) announced that the tariffs of five member states on imports of goods qualifying for EFTA treatment would be reduced IO percent on March 1, 1962. This reduction resulted in a total reduction in basic duties of 40 percent since July 1, 1960, for Denmark, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. For imports into Austria and Norway a corresponding reduction was to be made not later than September 1, 1962. The reduction was not yet to apply to certain limited classes of goods imported into Denmark. The tariff reductions were to be applied to imports from Finland in the same way as to imports from other member states.