During the period under review the attention of the member countries of the Arab League was focused on the meetings of the United Nations Palestine Conciliation Commission in Lausanne, Switzerland. The British proclamation of self-rule for Cyrenaica on June 2 did, however, call for comment from the League. The move was interpreted as an attempt to create a British protectorate on Egypt's frontier and an attempt to further weaken the Arab countries through partition of one of them. Abdul Rahman Azzam Pasha, Secretary General of the Arab League, in a formal statement of protest, stated, “It is indeed regrettable that British policy in Libyan questions is based solely on Britain's own interests. Britain has not tried to reach an understanding concerning a policy that would satisfy the Arab people.”

On April 5, 1949, the Brussels Treaty Powers addressed a request to the United States Government for military aid. “Since the signature of the Brussels Treaty the five governments [United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg] have had under consideration a common defence programme. Convinced of the necessity for such a programme, they believe that its formulation and application must be based on entire solidarity between them. They have reached the conclusion that if this defence programme is to be effective the material assistance of the United States Government is essential…”

The Ambassadors to the United Kingdom of Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, the High Commissioner for Eire, and the Minister of Luxembourg began a conference in London on March 28, 1949, under the chairmanship of Sir Gladwyn Jebb, British representative on the permanent commission of the Consultative Council of Western Powers, to examine draft proposals for a Council of Europe.

The Council of the Organization of American States, at a meeting on April 11, 1949, approved the report of the Finance Committee recommending procedures for financing the new building of the Pan American Union. It was agreed to instruct the Director-General to proceed immediately with the building project, inform the Carnegie Corporation of the action, and authorize the Secretary General to obtain loans of not more than $1,150,000. It was also decided to transmit the project of Statutes of the Inter-American Cultural Council to the member governments with the request that they submit observations which they deemed advisable before May 15, 1949, after which the Statutes would be put into effect on a provisional basis. After the first session of the Cultural Council, the Council would incorporate its recommendations in the statutes and formulate the definitive text.

Organizational questions and research plans were discussed at the third session of the South Pacific Commission which was held in Anse Vata, Noumea, New Caledonia, from May 7 to 17, 1949 under the chairmanship of Mr. J. B. D. Pennick of the Netherlands. The Commission approved a work program for the Research Council in the fields of health, economic conditions and social development. Among the specific studies authorized for the following year were 1) methods of improving collection and dissemination of epidemiological intelligence; 2)collection of data on diet and nutrition of communities and individuals; 3) study of atoll and low island economy; 4) study of fishery methods; 5) review and summary of information on cash crops; 6) survey of facilities for professional and technical training in the South Pacific; 7) the use of visual aids in education among island people; and 8) study of techniques for teaching literacy.

Quadripartite Activity: The only quadripartite activity which was carried on during the period under review was the discussion of Germany at the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Paris from May 23 to June 20, 1949. A series of informal conversations between Philip C. Jessup, Ambassador-at-Large of the United States, and Yakov A. Malik, Soviet Representative on the Security Council, in New York had led to an agreement for the lifting of the blockade of Berlin on May 10 and the convening of the Council of Foreign Ministers ten days later. The blockade was only partially lifted, however, due to restrictions on auto traffic between Berlin and Helmstedt, and a strike of railroad workers in the Eastern Sector of Berlin. On June 3, the Russian Commandant in Berlin, Major-General Alexander Kotikov, met with the United States, British, and French Commanders for the first time since June 16, 1948, to discuss the rail strike. No agreement was reached, however. The rail strike was finally settled on June 29, 1949.

The sixth session of the Council of Foreign Ministers met in Paris from May 23 to June 20, 1949, to discuss the German question and the Austrian treaty. The fifth session, held in London in November–December 1947, had closed without agreement as to the drafting of peace treaties for Germany and Austria. At the recent meeting France was represented by Robert Schuman, the USSR by A. Y. Vishinsky, the United Kingdom by Ernest Bevin and the United States by Dean Acheson. A preliminary requirement for the opening of this meeting was the lifting of the Berlin blockade and counterblockade measures by members of the Council. Informal discussions in New York between Soviet and United States representatives (Jacob Malik and Philip Jessup) resulted on May 12 in preliminary agreement on this problem, which had stood for ten months as an obstacle in the way of any consideration by the members of the Council of the German question as a whole.

The terms of a protocol signed by the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Rumania in January, 1949, when they formed the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance were released on June 3, 1949. Under the provisions of the agreement the Council was established to coordinate eastern European economy, standardize industrial production of member nations, provide mutual aid through trade, exchange of experience, loans and investments, for a period of twenty years.

At its meeting on March 31, 1949, the Far Eastern Commission recommended to its eleven member governments that investigation of suspected Japanese war criminals accused of offenses falling under paragraphs 1b and 1c of the policy decision of the FEC entitled “Apprehension, Trial and Punishment of War Criminals in the Far East,” approved by the Commission on April 3, 1946, be completed before June 30, 1949, and that all trials resulting from the investigations be concluded, if possible, before September 30, 1949. The offences referred to included violations of the laws or customs of war, or murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation or other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population, or prosecutions on political, racial or religious grounds. On March 16, 1949, the Commission had announced the termination of investigations of offences under paragraph 1a.

The Council of the Organization for European Economic Cooperation, composed of cabinet members of the governments of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands, held a series of secret meetings during May and June in an attempt to solve the problem of intra-European trade and the intra-European payments system which was scheduled to end June 30, 1949. The principal objections to the existing payments system were that it was originally formed in a series of bilateral agreements between each of the countries, that the original agreements were based on estimates of the expected balance of payments which had in some cases been erroneous, and that existing quotas had stifled trade.

On March 31, 1949, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration was officially liquidated after five and one half years of existence. Established as a temporary agency to assist war-devastated countries and areas unable to undertake their own relief and rehabilitation, UNRRA was supported by contributions from 48 member governments, four non-member governments and individuals and private organizations. Its work was carried on in missions to 16 receiving countries and it supported displaced persons camps in Germany, Austria, Italy, the Middle East, North Africa and the Far East until the International Refugee Organization was established.

On December 3rd, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the following resolution:

“Whereas the series of tragic events which have lately befallen agents of the United Nations engaged in the performance of their duties raises, with greater urgency than ever, the question of the arrangements to be made by the United Nations with a view to ensuring to its agents the fullest measure of protection in the future and ensuring that reparation be made for the injuries suffered; and

Whereas it is highly desirable that the Secretary-General should be able to act without question as efficaciously as possible with a view to obtaining any reparation due; therefore

The General Assembly

Sir, I have the honour to inform you that today, 7 May, the Delegations of the Netherlands and of the Republic of Indonesia met in Batavia, under the auspices and in the presence of the United Nations Commission for Indonesia, and made the following formal statements, endorsed by their respective governments.

The Governments of the Republics of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, having taken the measures necessary to carry out, faithfully and in full, each and every one of the provisions contained in the Resolution of the Provisional Organ of Consultation approved on December 24, 1948, the text of which is annexed to the present Pact of Amity, and is fully accepted by the signatory Governments, reiterating their firm resolve to continue taking all measures necessary, without restriction, to observe fully and faithfully each and all of the provisions and recommendations contained in the said Resolution; desiring to put an end to the situation that has arisen between the two states, and at the same time solemnly to reaffirm their desire to maintain the closest friendship and to strengthen the fraternal bonds which have historically characterized their relations; and wishing to avail themselves of the offer made to them by the Council of the Organization of American States, acting as a Provisional Organ of Consultation, of its good offices in attaining this objective, have agreed to enter into the present Pact of Amity in the presence of the Chairman and other Members of the Council.

The Governments of the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the French Republic, the Irish Republic, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;

The sixth session of the Council of Foreign Ministers attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of France, M. Robert Schuman; of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Mr. A. Y. Vishinsky; of the United Kingdom, the Right Honorable Ernest Bevin, and the United States of America, Mr. Dean Acheson, took place in Paris from May 23 to June 20,1949.