countries, which might even have gone so far as to contemplate withdrawing from the 1.1.0. Personally he very much doubted whether any such danger existed, but in any case the present proposal ought to be examined on its merits.
At the 123rd Session detailed statements had been made about the virtues of several governments in the matter. Mr. Wallin had just stated that the Belgian Government had done and would continue to do everything within its power, and Sir Guild- haume Myrddin-Evans had emphasised that the ted Kingdom Government had done a great deal to associate the non-metropolitan territories with the I.L.O. and would continue along the same course. He wondered what improvement the present pro- posals would make in the existing situation. It was true that Mr. Roberts had said that the trade unions would exercise constant vigilance and would take action if the pledges given were not honoured, and perhaps that would be effective in securing results. The implication of the earlier statement made on behalf of the Workers' group, however, was that the I.L.O. itself would be responsible for judging whether certain non-metropolitan territories had reached a stage of economic, social and political development justifying their association with the I.L.O. The whole process now depended on the good faith of the metropolitan powers, so that the present proposals were very different from those originally put forward. So far he had not heard a single representative of a metropolitan government say that the new pro- posals could be put into practice immediately. If those governments expressed any intention of altering their present practice as a result of the new proposals in order to achieve the object which both he and Mr. Roberts had in view, he would be prepared to vote for them, but nothing had been said so far to that effect.
Sir Guildhaume Myrddin-Evans said he had given the most complete assurances that the United King- dom Government accepted the compromise solution reached in all good faith and intended to act upon it. He hoped that Mr. Sen would not continue to impugn the intentions of the metropolitan govern-
ments.
Mr. Sen said that he did not question the good faith of any government; he had merely said that he had not yet heard a statement from any govern- ment representative that the acceptance of the proposed resolution would have the effect of changing the present procedure of his government.
Mr. Wallin said that in stating that Belgium did not intend to alter its previous practice in any way Mr. Sen had somewhat simplified a rather com- plicated situation. The principle of unity of repre- sentation, to which the Belgian Government was particularly attached, derived from the consti- tutional position which he had tried to explain. In the past the Belgian Government had enabled the representatives of the Belgian Congo to take part in the activities of the I.L.O., and he had stressed that the Belgian Government would in future consider on every appropriate occasion how far it could give effect to the wishes of the Governing Body as expressed in the present proposals if they were adopted.
The Government of India and the Belgian Govern ment did not in fact disagree on the principle of unity of representation. At the last session of the United Nations General Assembly, when the United King-
38
dom delegate had expressed the hope in the Fourtis Commitee that teb Traster Ship Comcil miger include representatives of non-metropolitan territo- ries, the representative of India had protested against his remark on the ground that it constituted interference in the affairs of a sovereign State.
Mr. Fernandes associated himself with Sir Guild- haume Myrddin-Evans' reply to Mr. Sen. While accepting the proposals submitted to the Governing Body in all good faith the Portuguese Government implicitly declared its intention of taking the necessary steps to ensure the representation the non-metropolitan territories for which it was responsible in the manner indicated in those pro- posals. Certain difficulties had arisen in the past because the territories in question were distant from Geneva and representation at I.LO. conferences involved heavy expense. By supporting the pro- posals, however, Portugal indicated its intention of overcoming those difficulties and of arranging for representatives of its non-metropolitan territories to be included in the Portuguese delegation, a develop- ment which would alter the previous practice.
{
Sir Guildhaume Myrddin Evans had noted Mr. Sen's statement that he would vote in favOME of the proposals rather than abstain if, as a result of their adoption, the previous practice of any metro- politan power towards its nom-metropolitan ter- ritories would be changed. He pointed out that paragraph (3) of the proposals introduced an entirely new practice. Never before had the Governing Body agreed that it would be prepared, on the recommendation of the metropolittan power, to invite a non-metropolitan territory to participate in the proceedings of the Conference through observers. That was a fundamental change in the practice of the Organisation.
Having said and repeated that the United Kingdom Government accepted the proposalls in good faith and intended to act upon them, he was at a loss to know what further undertaking he could give, and he hoped that in the light of his statement Mr. Sen would vote for the proposals.
赢
Mr. Sen repeated that he had never intended to impugn the good faith of the United Kingdom Government in accepting the paroposals. He had merely drawn attention to the fact that according to the information placed before the Governing Body or the statements made to it several metropolitan States had in fact on various occcasions in the past associated representatives of nom-metropolitan ter- ritories with the work of the Organisation and would continue to do so. The new proposals would in fact confirm the present practice, and he had been justified in wondering whether their adoption by the Governing Body would lead to amy advance on the present practice. He welcomed tthe statement made by Mr. Fernandes on that point,, and deduced from Sir Guildhaume's remarks that in the case of the United Kingdom also some change in the present practice might be hoped for. If that were the case, he would vote for the proposals.
Mr. Roberts said that if the Workers' group had imagined that its proposal could be interpreted in the manner in which Mr. Sen appeared to have interpreted it, that proposal would never have been made. He had thought that the proposal was quite clear: its purpose was to ensure the participation in the Conference of independéent tripartite delega-
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.