the merits of the reorganisation, the timing handling of the statement with the attempt to
PERIODICITY OF MEETINGS
announcement was bad and the le discussion was worse.
18 The last item of importance was the question of periodicity of meetings. There was an under-current throughout which indicated live dissatisfaction of most member states with the present arrangements of biennial moelings, The United States got themselves into a tangle over this, because they ¡rud done as much es anyone else to foster discontent and then, when the Mexicans, supported by a number of other countries, proposed a draft resolution to ECOSOC which would have re-established annual meetings, they were compelled by instructious from Washington to draw back and to settle for a Special Sension for 197. They and Trance proposed an amendment to the Mexican resolution in his sense, Unfortunately both France and the United States and most other speakers in favour of a Special Session in 1974 justified it on grounds which could be used only for justifying return to annual sessions. The United Kingdom attempted to salvage something from the wreck that had been made by American advocacy. While criticising the proposal for a return to annual meetings without having given biennialism a chance, the United Kingdom, on instruction, supported the proposal for a Special Session on special grounds, neuely the need to consider the Reports of the ad hoc Committee for the Far East and of the Sub-commission for the Near and Middle East, the work of the Fund, and the preparations for the coming into force of the 1971 Convention. The United Kingdom also stressed the need for econony and for a Commission of short duretion. The Special Session, if approved by ECOSOC,
will also consider the question of periodicity.
THE REPORT
19 The drafting of the report proceeded with extreme smoothness because the Chairman agreed that manuscript amendments (either drafting or of substance relating to statements by a particular country) could be submitted direct to the Secretariat without public justification. Discussion of the report was therefore confined to amendments of substance, where the views of a number of members of the Commission were affected. The comparative unanimity of the Commission throughout the meeting meant that there was little need for discussion and, in any case, as noted above, the report was adequately drafted.
C J TRAIN
Home Office Drugs Branch
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CONFIDENTIAL
20 March 1973
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