National income figures are based on those prepared in connection with the calculations for the Monetary Fund voting system. * indicates notional figure inserted to complete the illustration. Column (1): Figures taken from U.N. Monthly Bulletin of Statistics, April and June 1947; League of Nations Review of World Trade, 1938, and Network of World Trade, 1942. Column (2): Figures taken from Table A. Column (3): Figures based upon population data shown in Table A. EXTRACTS FROM THE INTERIM REPORT OF THE SECOND SESSION TO THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL (9 July 1947) RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE I. Annotated Draft Agenda and Convention for the Conference on Trade and Employment. Trade and Employment. The Preparatory Committee adopted the topics suggested by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution as the substance of its agenda for the preparation of the draft Charter for an International Trade Organization. As at present drafted the Charter includes chapters under the following headings: Employment and Economic Activity, Economic Development, General Commercial Policy, Restrictive Business Practices, Inter-governmental Commodity Arrangements, together with provisions relating to organization, membership and other miscellaneous siderable period the coming into force of the Charter and the establishment of the Organization. On the other hand, the Preparatory Committee has given consideration to the need for providing a reasonable interval between the end of the current session of the Committee and the convening of the World Conference in order to provide as much time as possible for Preparatory Committee to study the work of governments which did not participate in the the Second Session. In this connection the Preparatory Committee has taken account of the fact that the full reports of the First Session and of the Drafting Committee have been in the hands of all Members of the United Nations for many months and that arrangements have been made for such Members to receive all documents of the Second Session as its work proceeds. In all the circumstances the Committee feels it is undesirable to delay the convening of the Conference much beyond the middle of November. Accordingly, the Preparatory Committee recommends that the Conference should be convened on 21 November 1947. The Preparatory Committee considers that the Conference should be held in a suitable place in the Western Hemisphere, and therefore recommends, in view of the cordial and generous invitation extended by the Government of Cuba, that the Conference be held in Havana, if practicable. 3. Invitation of non-Members of the United Nations to the Conference. The Preparatory Committee recommends that, subject to the resolution regarding Spain adopted by the General Assembly on 12 December 1946, those States non-Members of the United Nations which have an appreciable interest in world trade should be invited to the Conference on Trade and Employment. It therefore recommends that the following States non-Members should be invited: Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Eire, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Roumania, Switzerland, Transjordania and the Yemen. The Preparatory Committee recommends further that the Economic and Social Council should make provision for the attendance of persons qualified to represent the appropriate authorities in Germany, Japan and Korea. The Preparatory Committee, having in mind specifically the position of the Governments of Burma, Ceylon and Southern Rhodesia, wishes to draw the attention of the Economic and Social Council to the position of territories under the sovereignty of a Member of the United Nations which are self-governing in matters provided for by the draft Charter and for that reason, in the opinion of the Preparatory Committee, ought to be invited to participate in the work of the Conference. THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE 1. Considering that the task of the World Conference would be facilitated if concrete action were taken by the principal trading nations to enter into reciprocal negotiations directed to the substantial reduction of tariffs and to the elimination of preferences on a mutually advantageous basis, the Preparatory Committee adopted a Resolution at its First Session regarding the carrying out of tariff negotiations under its sponsorship in connection with, and as part of, the Second Session. 2. The governments represented at the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee are now engaged in the negotiations foreseen in the above-mentioned Resolution. These negotiations have not yet been completed. 3. It is expected that the concessions resulting from these negotiations, together with such other provisions as may be appropriate, will at the end of the Second Session be incorporated in a General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. |