Some of the current spate of writing about outer space is so highly imaginative as to discourage serious students of international organization and law from pursuing detailed studies of very real problems which now confront the UN. Antarctic possibilities are only slightly less fabulous and some of the problems there raised may be even more immediate. There are those who are troubled by the difficulty of mastering a new massive subject matter some of which is shrouded in unfamiliar scientific terminology and some of which is imprisoned in official security classifications. Actually these difficulties are no greater here than elsewhere. A study of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) like Codding's required familiarity with pulse radionavigation systems as well as voting procedures; the political and legal delegates to the recent Geneva Conference on the Law of the Sea were also required to deal with hydrography and ichthyology. The dark shadow of secret archives clouds the crystal ball for many a student of international relations who wishes to edge up on the contemporaneous scene. When charged with inadequacies, the present writers will not “take the Fifth” but will plead guilty.

The growth of international cooperation in the South Pacific region has been one of the remarkable developments in regional collaboration in the post-war era. During the past twelve years, three multilateral arrangements have come into existence bearing upon South Pacific affairs. These are the six-power South Pacific Commission (SPC), the three-power Australian—New Zealand—United States Mutual Security Treaty (known as ANZUS), and the Southeast Asian Collective Defense Treaty Organization (SEATO).

The objectives of the founders of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reflected the dual nature of atomic power: it was the embodiment of both the highest hopes and the deepest fears of mankind. First, the Agency's developmental responsibility was to accelerate the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health, and prosperity throughout the world. Second and equally important was to be the Agency's control function: to create a reliable system of safeguards against diversion of fissionable material to military uses in order that the broadening of the peaceful applications of atomic energy should not increase the danger of strengthening the military potential of nations. Within this broad framework, the Agency was to plan and carry out specific projects and activities. This responsibility was largely to be a function of the Board of Governors, whose establishment was an immediate necessity if IAEA was to begin operations.

So fast has been the development of trust territories toward self-government or independence that a situation will arise in 1960 that seems not to have been foreseen by the founding fathers of the United Nations. Togoland and the Cameroons under French administration and Somaliland under Italian administration will, according to present plans, cease to be trust territories during the course of 1960. Italy's automatic membership in the Trusteeship Council will thus cease, but France, as a permanent member of the Security Council, will remain a permanent member of the Trusteeship Council. This will have both short-term and long-term implications for the balance of membership in the Council, which according to the Charter should be divided equally between states which administer trust territories and states which do not administer such territories.

The purpose of this study is not to describe the principles and procedures upon which the International Trusteeship System is based—for these are set out in Chapters XII and XIII of the Charter of the United Nations. Rather will an attempt be made, on the basis of three years' personal experience (1948–1951) of the workings of the Trusteeship Council and three years' service (1956–1959) in Tanganyika, the largest of the trust territories, to assess the real impact of the system on the governments and peoples of the trust territories themselves.

In the calendar year 1957, members of the United States Congress participated in three major interparliamentary meetings. No less than 41 members journeyed abroad to consort with fellow members of legislative bodies, to make speeches to each other for the benefit of an attentive press, and to adopt resolutions ranging widely over the field of foreign policy.

At the 845th meeting of the Security Council, held at headquarters on January 30, 1959, a discussion of the Palestine question in terms of a letter dated January 26, from the permanent representative of Israel to the UN, began with statements by the parties concerned. The special meeting had been convened by die President of the Council in response to a request from the government of Israel.

Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East: The fifteenth session of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) was held in Broadbeach, Australia, from March 9 to 19, 1959, under the chairmanship of Mr. Richard G. Casey, Minister of State for External Affairs of Australia.1 During the course of the session, new offers of financial aid to the Lower Mekong river development project were made: Canada offered $1,300,000 to pay for its undertaking of an aerial survey and mapping of the Lower Mekong basin; Australia offered $225,000 for equipment and training; and France promised an additional $102,500 beyond the $126,000 previously contributed. The Soviet Union also indicated that it was prepared to extend technical assistance to the Mekong project either directly or through ECAFE for power stations.

Case concerning the Aerial Incident of July 27, 7955 (United Kingdom v. Bulgaria): In response to a request from the government of Bulgaria, the International Court, in an order of May 27, 1959, extended the time limit for the deposit of the Bulgarian counter-memorial from June 9, 1959, to August 10, 1959.

The 29th session of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was held in Rome from October 27 to November 7, 1958. The Council had before it the Director-General's annual report, The State of Food and Agriculture, and a supplementary statement bringing the situation up to date as at mid-October. It noted with concern the deterioration in the ‘terms of trade’ for agricultural products in world markets and the continuing problems of excess production and surplus disposal; it was suggested that policies should aim at making countries economically self-supporting rather than self-sufficient. A report from the Committee on Commodity Problems tended to confirm the Council's conclusion that there was a definite need for long-term measures which might help to bring about a better balance in world commodity markets. The Council also reviewed the state of various of the organization's current activities, including projects for Mediterranean development, desert locust control, Sunn pest control, and a re-examination of the social welfare aspects of FAO's work. Resolutions passed by the Council included: 1) the continuation of the FAO/United Nations Children's Fund Joint Policy Committee; 2) the approval of minor amendments to the Constitution of the European Commission on Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease; 3) the extension of the Latin American Forestry Research and Training Institute until the end of 1958; 4) the establishment of an ad hoc committee of member governments to work with the Director-General in preparation for a ‘Free-the-World-from-Hunger’ year; 5) authorization for a close association of FAO with the United Nations Special Fund for Economic Development; 6) approval of a relationship agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency; and 7) endorsement of various plans for a reorganization of FAO Headquarters, post adjustments, and modifications in the program of work for 1958 and 1959.

The first Assembly of the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) was held in London from January 6 to 19, 1959. All of the 30 member governments except Burma were represented at the Assembly, which chose Mr. Louis C. Audette of Canada as its President. Mr. Audette had served as Chairman of the twelve-nation preparatory committee which had made arrangements for the first Assembly. The representatives of Japan and the United Kingdom were elected to fill the posts of First and Second Vice-Presidents.

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced on April 8, 1959, a loan equivalent to $25 million to India for the Koyna hydro-electric power project inthe State of Bombay. This loan was expected to cover most of the foreign exchange requirements of the total cost of the first stage of the project, estimated at the equivalentof $118 million. It was for a term of 25 years and bore interest of 5¾ percent, including the I percent commission allocated to the Bank's Special Reserve. Amortization was to begin in May 1965.

The 140th session of the Governing Body of the International Labor Office was held in Geneva from November 18–21, 1958. It decided to place three new items on the agenda of the 44th (1960) session of the International Labor Conference, viz.: contribution of the International Labor Organization (ILO) to the raising of incomes and living conditions in rural communities in countries in process of development; reduction of hours of work; and workers' housing. In general, the Governing Body endorsed the suggestions before it regarding action to be taken on the resolutions adopted by the International Labor Conference at its 42d session, specifically by authorizing the Director-General to communicate to the governments of member states resolutions concerning publication of labor laws, industrial health and safety campaigns, management development, and the expansion of international trade. The resolution regarding the last topic was also to be sent to the UN and to the Executive Secretary of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. A resolution dealing with labor-management relations was to be communicated to governments with the request that they bring it to the attention of employers' and workers' organizations, while a resolution concerning increased technical assistance for the integration of indigenous populations was to be sent to governments, to the UN, and to several relevant specialized agencies.

On February 20, 1959, Denmark announced the repurchase from the International Monetary Fund of $17 million which, together with repurchases made in March and June 1958, exceeded by $8.5 million the $34 million purchased by Denmark from the Fund in July 1957. The excess was applied to reducing the Fund's holdings of kroner to 75 percent of quota. On March 19, the United Kingdom made a repurchase of $200 million, in line with its announced intention to repurchase its outstanding balance monthly through 1960 and 1961, or more expeditiously if possible.

The report of the Director-General, Dr. Vittorino Veronese, on the activities of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1958 wad divided into the usual three parts, namely: relations with member states and international organizations: execution of the program; and administrative services. Under the first heading, the Director-General reported that Albania, Ghana, and the Federation of Malaya had joined the organization during 1958, thereby bringing the total number of members to 81. Moreover, Kuwait, The West Indies Federation, and the Trust Territory of Somaliland were admitted as associate members. Singapore was also admitted as an associate member, to become effective on December 31, 1959.

The 23d session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) was held in Geneva from January 20 to February 3, 1959. The Director-General's proposed program of activities and budget estimates for 1960 were examined by the Board, and their adoption was recommended to the Twelfth World Health Assembly. The budget showed an increase of $1,251,960 or 8.25 percent over the revised budget for 1959, for a total estimate of $16,418,700; the proposed program reflected a new trend in the work of WHO, namely, the widening of the concept of control to that of eradication in the case of such communicable diseases as malaria, smallpox, and yaws, and eventually tuberculosis and leprosy. In addition, certain activities were to be expanded, including vital and health statistics services, nutrition surveys, the control of bilharziasis, research, and the teaching of psychiatry and mental health techniques.

A meeting of the Working Group on Numerical Weather Analysis and Forecasting of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was held in Stockholm from March 2 to 6, 1959, for the purpose of reviewing the present status in the fields of numerical weather analysis and forecasting; outlining present research and likely developments in the future; and specifying problems arising from the utilization of numerical methods for weather analysis and forecasting. These last included training of personnel, communication facilities, and the international collaboration required for successful programs of work in weather analysis and forecasting. A one-group code, capable of extension as the need arose, was proposed for the transmission of essential data.

The third part of the tenth session of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe was held from January 19 to 22, 1959. Mr. Hamdi Ragip Atademir (Turkish Democrat), Vice-President of the Assembly, informed the Assembly that the President had sent invitations to the United States Congress and to the Canadian Parliament with a view to organizing a second Strasbourg Conference between delegations of the two parliaments in question and a delegation of the Consultative Assembly. Acting on behalf of Mr. Selwyn Lloyd, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Lord Lansdowne, United Kingdom Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, then presented the Second Supplementary Report of the Committee to the Assembly. Speakers in the general debate on the Report stressed the necessity for better coordination of these two main organs of the Council.

The European Parliamentary Assembly opened its ordinary session for 1959 on January 7. Mr. Robert Schuman, former French premier and initiator of die European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), was re-elected President by acclamation. The ensuing debates covered a wide field, including the opening up of markets, the problem of competition, a European program for energy resources, industrial safeguards, hygiene and the protection of health, social policy, shortening of the working week in the coal and steel industries of the Community, transport problems, a long-term economic policy, agricultural problems, and the form of association for overseas territories and dependencies.

The Permanent Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) met in Paris early in May 1959 to consider the proposals of the United States, France, and the United Kingdom for presentation to the Soviet Union at the forthcoming conference of foreign ministers. According to the press, the proposals won a favorable reception from the Council. No formal action of approval was required, but agreement was reached on the principle of a permanent liaison between the western ministers and the Council during the Geneva conference, scheduled to begin on May 11.