The effective transfer of skills and resources to less developed countries through multilateral as well as bilateral channels is a central element in the UN Development Decade. But the utility of international institutions in the economic field does not stop there. They are also proving to be indispensable in coping with related challenges to the United States in its trade relations with other nations—challenges posed by a rapidly changing world economy. The first challenge is to reduce the trade barriers which presently mpair the economic efficiency and political unity of the free world, particularly the North Atlantic Community and Japan. The second challenge is to find additional ways to deal with the special problems which affect the trade of the less developed countries. International organizations are now the focus of efforts to cope with both of these challenges.

Does the economic integration of a group of nations automatically trigger political unity? Must economic unions be perceived as “successful” in order to lead to political unification? Or are the two processes quite distinct, requiring deliberate political steps because purely economic arrangements are generally inadequate for ushering in political unity?

On May 22, 1958, the Lebanese representative at the United Nations presented a letter to the President of the Security Council requesting an urgent meeting of the Council to consider a

complaint by Lebanon in respect to a situation arising from the intervention of the United Arab Republic in the internal affairs of Lebanon, the continuance of which is likely to endanger themaintenance of international peace and security.

The United Nations Special Fund was the result of a compromise between two proposals which were debated at nineteen meetings of the Second (Economic and Financial) Committee during the twelfth session of the General Assembly. The first of these proposals was an eleven-power draft resolution, based on the recommendations of the Scheyven Committee, to establish a Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development (SUNFED). The second was a United States proposal to ncrease the financial resources of the Expanded Program of Technical Assistance (EPTA) and to establish within it a Speical projects Fund Which would be used to widen the scope of EPTA7's activities.

This article seeks to list and briefly analyze the different ways and forms whereby contemporary international organizations participate in the making of new rules of public international law.

In accordance with a request by the permanent representative of Cambodia, the Security Council at its 1118th–1122nd and 1124th–1126th meetings, May 19–June 4, 1964, considered a complaint concerning alleged acts of aggression committed by the Republic of Vietnam and the United States against the territory and civilian population of Cambodia. At the invitation of the Council's President, the permanent representative of Cambodia, Mr. Sonn, took a place at the Security Council table.

The annual report of the Technical Assistance Board (TAB) to the Technical Assistance Committee (TAC) for 1963 was an interim report on the implementation of the 1963–1964 Expanded Program of Technical Assistance (EPTA), covering the salient features of the 1963 operations. The report noted the proposal that the next annual report should include a review of the first fifteen years' work of the Program as well as a detailed survey of the 1963–1964 period.

The 31st session of the Trusteeship Council, comprising its 1225th–1243rd meetings, was held from May 20 to June 29, 1964. At its opening meeting the Council elected Mr. Corner (New Zealand) President and Mr. Doise (France) Vice President.

The Board of Governors presented its report on the Agency's work during its seventh year, covering the period from July 1, 1963, to June 30, 1964, to the eighth General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Noting that the membership of the Agency had increased from 82 to 87 during the year under review, the report listed the five new members: Algeria, Gabon, the Ivory Coast, Libya, and Nigeria. In its introduction, the report stated that the year had been marked by further notable improvement in the prospects for economically competitive nuclear power and by interesting developments with regard to the use of nuclear energy for desalinization. In accordance with a request of the General Conference, the Board had considered the question of financing IAEA's activities but had not been able to make any further recommendations.

On May 26, 1964, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and its affiliate, the International Development Association (IDA), joined with the United States Agency for International Development (AID) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to provide the equivalent of $39 million to the government of Ecuador to assist a $62.2 million, five-year, national highway program. The International Bank loan amounted to $9 million, the IDA credit to $8 million, the AID loan to $13.3 million, and the IDB loan to $6 million. In September 1963 AID had made a previous loan of $2.7 million for the program; the remaining costs of $23.2 million were to be covered by the government of Ecuador.

On July 2, 1964, the Chairman of the Executive Board, Pierre-Paul Schweitzer, transmitted to the Board of Governors the nineteenth annual report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Directors for the fiscal year ended April 30, 1964.

Sixteenth Assembly: The sixteenth session of the Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) met in Geneva on May 7–23, 1963, under the presidency of Dr. M. A. Majekodunmi (Nigeria). During the discussion of the Director-General's report on the work of WHO in 1962, delegates expressed agreement on the importance of the planned development of health services, medical education, and the training of auxiliary staff. Endorsing the Organization's medical research program, some members suggested its extension to other fields. Other members felt, however, that WHO was devoting too much time and money to work that could be carried out by national research institutes. Several delegations appealed for a more flexible approach in providing aid to less developed countries. Dr. Candau, the Director-General, spoke of the efforts that had been made to secure staff from a wider range of countries.

The conference of heads of state and government of the African and Malagasy Union (UAM) decided at a meeting held at Dakar, Senegal, on March 7–10, 1964, to dissolve UAM and to replace it by a new African and Malagasy Union for Economic Cooperation (UAMCE). The decision was in accordance with the recommendations on regional groupings approved by the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) at its Dakar meeting in August 1963.

The Annual Report of the Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund for the fiscal year ended April 30, 1954, was transmitted to the Chairman of the Board of Governors on July 1, 1954. During the period under review, the report noted, important steps toward currency convertibility had been taken in several countries, notably Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, and United Kingdom; restrictions on dollar imports had been lightened, exports of domestic capital had been freer, and more reliance had been placed on the regulative powers of the price mechanism. The easing of restrictions had gone hand in hand with an improvement in the world balance of payments equilibrium, and a reversal, during 1953, of the downward trend in the volume of world trade which had appeared early in 1952. Sound fiscal and monetary policies had improved the competitive position of Europe which had experienced smore stable prices and less inflationary pressure; the report cautioned that the coincidence, up to mid-1953, of a high level of business activity in the United States with slack demand conditions in western Europe had been a purely fortuitous aid in improving the latter's balance of payments position. Progress toward convertibility had been made possible by a general improvement in economic conditions; however, problems would be involved in taking further steps toward convertibility. Among these were: (1) the problem of controlling international movements of capital, and (2) the importance of having countries whose balance of payments position was weak, as well as those with a stronger position, move concurrently towards convertibility.

At the invitation of President Nasser of the United Arab Republic, the heads of state of eleven of the thirteen member countries of the Arab League met in Cairo on January 13–16, 1964, to consider Israel's plan for the partial diversion of the waters of the Jordan River for the purpose of irrigating the Negev Desert. (The chiefs of staff of the eleven Arab countries met in Cairo on December 6–9, 1963, to discuss the Jordan waters question, but no statement was issued.)

The Executive Council of the General Treaty for Central American Economic Integration held its eighth meeting in Guatemala City on March 9–19, 1964, to discuss the draft regulations to the Central American Agreement on Fiscal Incentives for Industrial Development and to deal with certain problems arising from the operation of the Central American Common Market (CACM). Before proceeding with a discussion of the draft regulations, Council members agreed that the discussion would be continued at the next Council meeting. Since the Central American Agreement on Fiscal Incentives could not be applied without previous approval of the Regulations to the Agreement, the Council decided that the adoption of the Regulations should be simultaneous with the date of entry into force of the Agreement.

The eleventh joint meeting of the European Parliament and the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe was held in Strasbourg on June 12–13, 1964. For the first time the annual joint meeting was devoted to the discussion of a single topic, namely, the position of Europe in world trade.

Mr. Jean Duvieusart (Belgian Christian Democrat) was elected President of the European Parliament on March 21, 1964, defeating Dutch Socialist Paulus Kapteyn by a vote of 57 to 51.