objection to adopting a more mandatory form of words, but that the effect of such a change would be to commit the Governing Body in advance accepting in detail every proposal put before it.
D)
United Kingdom Government, however, naturally expected the Governing Body to give effect to any proposals made to it on the subject.
He believed that he was speaking on behalf of all the representatives of metropolitan powers on the Governing Body in expressing appreciation of the practical approach of the Workers' group to the problem and of the understanding it had shown of difficulties of the metropolitan powers in agreeing to the kind of formal relationship originally suggested. He hoped that the Governing Body would accept the proposals in the spirit in which they had been put forward and thus adopt a solution acceptable to all parties.
Mr. Fernandes said that the Portuguese Govern- ment fully supported the new proposals and con- gratulated those responsible for them on the spirit of understanding that they had shown.
Mr. de Rego Monteiro paid tribute to the efforts devoted by the I.L.Q. to the social emancipation of the peoples of non-metropolitan territories and said that his Government also recognised the loyal manner in which the International Labour Office applied the relevant principles.
He fully supported the very wise and moderate proposals submitted on behalf of the Workers' group and congratulated Sir Guildhaume Myrddin-Evans on the political acumen of which he had just given
fresh evidence.
The Brazilian Government nevertheless regarded the proposals as representing only one step forward in the direction of an equitable world-wide rule of law, and hoped that subsequent consideration might be given to expanding the constitutional framework of the I.L.O. in order to bring it fully into harmony with the principles laid down in the Declaration of Philadelphia and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. To that end his Government hoped that it would be possible to amend article 35 of the Constitution with a view to making inter- national labour Conventions fully applicable to non- metropolitan territories.
Mr. Sen did not in any way wish to impugn the good faith or good intentions shown in arriving at the new proposals, which would in fact enable the Governing Body to take a decision. However, he could not help thinking that the original proposals had been more progressive and that the Workers' group would have preferred them and had accepted the new formula only as a compromise after due consultation.
Examination of paragraph (3) of the new pro- posals, for instance, showed that control of the procedure was left to the metropolitan power at every stage and in every respect. While aware of existing difficulties, he nevertheless thought that the Governing Body would merely consolidate them by approving the proposals and would definitely be taking a step backward. The document before the Governing Body merely confirmed the existing difficulties in the hope that in spite of everything the metropolitan powers would do what they could to help to associate the non-metropolitan territories with the work of the Organisation. No doubt some results would be accomplished, but he did not believe
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that the L.L.O. could rregard the proposals as the last word on the subject, ·rad for his own part he would record his abstention ja them.
Mr. Wallin said that the Belgian Government was in no way opposed to the adoption of the proposals submitted to the Governing Body by the Workers group. Its attitude was governed by two principles: first, that of unity of representation, and secondly, that of non-discriminaation between the indigenous populations, whatever the status of the territories in which they lived.
The proposals submitted to the Governing Body did not appear to call for a formal decision, but merely confirmed a situation which existed and emphasised that the Constitution did not exclude the possibility of invitting certain non-metropolitan territories which had reached a certain level of development, on the recommendation of the respon- sible State Member, to be represented at the Con→ ference by a tripartite delegation of observers.
If that interpretation of the proposal were correct, his Government would support it, although in its present form it was more appropriate to the relations of other States Members with their non-autonomous territories than to the relations between Belginın and the Belgian Congo. While it was true that there were some territories which constituted units entirely separate from the metropolitan country, the Belgian Congo and Belgium constituted a single State with a single nationality; the people of the Belgian Congo lived within the national frontiers of the Belgian State in the same way as did the indigenous popula tions of other continents within the fruntiers of the State to which they belonged. The forthcoming revision of the Belgian Constitution would no doubt strengthen still further the principle of the political unity of the communityy formed by Belgium and the Belgian Congo. So fair as Belgium was concerned, therefore, the question raised by the Workers' Belgian delegation. group was reduced to tikat of the composition of the Belgian delegation.
In the past the Belgian delegations had occa- sionally included Government delegates serving in the administration of the Belgian Congo and employ- ers' and workers' delegates operating in that territory. The Belgian Government proposed to proceed in the same manner in future whenever it considered it desirable to do so. The composition of the Belgian delegation was withim the sole jurisdiction of the Government; that Government could not agree to any direct contact betwARN he I.L.O. and the Belgian Congo, a proposal which was not indeed included in the resolution submitted by the Workers' group.
He expressed his thanks to the Workers" group for the good faith and practical common sense by which they had been guided in that matter and gave an assurance that the Belgian Government would consider the problems arising in connection with the composition of its delegation in the same spirit of good faith whenever the occasion arose.
At the same time, the Belgium Government had had some hesitation in deciding to accept the pro- posal of the Workers” group, because it was afraid that that proposal might tem to strengthen the position of those who challenged the principle of unity of representation, a principle recently endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations and confirmed by article: 3 of the Constitution of the I.L.O. That principle did not in the view of the Belgian Government exclude the possibility of associating non-auttumamous territories with the
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