Extracts from the 'Report of Irish Delegation to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment, Havana 21.11.47 - 24.3.48'

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6. Our paramount difficulty was the smallness of the delegation, which was entirely inadequate in strength to enable us to give the proper attention to the various documents which were circulated, and at the same time to attend the many meetings, at almost all of which it would have been, at least, useful for us to be present.

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8. It became apparent in the early stages of the Conference that, while a good deal of alteration would be necessary in most, if not all, of the Articles of the Geneva Text, the cruxes of the Conference would be Articles 13, 14, 20 and 21, which dealt with the difficult question of quantitative restrictions and in respect of which a large number of amendments had been tabled. Article 23 which was obviously going to be a matter of difficulty for the British delegation; Articles 15 and 42 dealing with new Preferences and Customs Unions which are quite obviously a matter of extreme concern to the Arab States and the South American countries, and those Articles dealing with the Constitution of the Executive Board. In fact, these Articles were responsible for the very long duration of the Conference, and almost up to the end it looked as if it would be impossible to resolve the difficulties of Article 23.
9. We were obliged to take upon ourselves the task of examining approximately eight hundred amendments which had been tabled by various delegations in order to determine what line to take on any particular amendment. We were guided so far as they were applicable by the instructions contained in the Memorandum for the Government dated 5th December, 1947,¹ which was forwarded to us by the Department of External Affairs on the 11th December, 1947, and we requested such further instructions as we considered to be necessary from the Department of Industry and Commerce. Our energies were mainly directed towards obtaining some modification of the restrictive effects of Article 20. We were supported in this by delegates from South American and other under-developed countries, who considered that it was very unlikely that the prior approval of I.T.O. for the application of Quantitative Restrictions on imports would be forthcoming under the provisions of Article 13 save in the most exceptional cases.
10. Their fears in this respect were well justified by the altogether uncompromising attitude adopted by the United States delegation on the question of Quantitative Restrictions. It was only at a late stage in the Conference, when Mr. Clayton² returned from the United States, that it became apparent that instructions had been given to the United States delegation to modify their attitude in this respect. A proposal made by the South American countries that a Co-Ordinating Committee should be set up in order to try to resolve outstanding differences which, at that time, related mainly to Articles 13, 15 and 75 and proposals to establish a Tariff Committee and an Economic Development Committee was welcomed by the United States delegation, presumably because it offered an opportunity of changing front on the question of Quantitative Restrictions without loss of face. This Co-Ordinating Committee offered a solution of the outstanding problems which was acceptable to the majority of the delegations. An exposé by the United Kingdom delegation of its interpretation of the provisions of Article 21, which went unchallenged, further helped to clear away difficulties.
11. From the time we arrived in Havana, we received considerable help and courtesy from the South African delegation, which not only made its own documents available to us but through its leader, Mr. Waterson,³ Minister of Commerce, invited us to attend the meetings of the delegation which were held every morning. The Australian delegation also, through its leader, Mr. Dedman,⁴ Minister of Post War Reconstruction, was very helpful to us. Mr. Dedman gave me copies of memoranda which had been prepared for him on various aspects of the Charter by his own delegation. Although we had friendly relations with many members of the United States delegation, and very particularly with the Chairman and one of the members of the U.S. Tariff Commission, it was not until the Co-Ordinating Committee had been set up that this delegation took us into its confidence to any great extent. The British delegation was, at all times, most helpful and obliging to us and we had very friendly relations with individual members of the delegation, although we did feel at times that we might have been consulted more fully in advance on some problems such as Preferences, before issues were taken at Committee meetings. We found a marked friendliness on the part of India and Greece and of some of the Arab States, notably Egypt and Iraq. In general the South American countries showed no particular friendliness with the exception of Peru and of Argentina, one of whose members had a personal association with Ireland. Although the two delegations first mentioned were outstandingly helpful, all the other British Commonwealth delegations were helpful to us in one degree or another.
12. To a limited extent we had, during our stay in Havana, to act as dispensers of commercial intelligence to various persons who called at the delegation office to make enquiries as to the availability of goods from Ireland. It was quite clear from these enquiries, as well as from suggestions made to us by members of the United States Delegation that, in the Western Hemisphere Ireland is associated with the export of two commodities only, namely linen and potatoes, both of which seem to be in great demand. In Havana, because of the climate, linen suits are widely worn, and Irish linen is traditionally favoured. So far as linen is concerned, the same seems to be true for the United States.
13. Representations were made to us informally during our stay in Havana, not alone by business people, but by Government officials, and Members of the Legislature, that it would be a great convenience if Ireland had Consular representation, even on a honorary basis, in Havana.
14. Practically every country represented at the Conference expressed regret that Ireland was not a member of the United Nations, and avowed that it would not be long before she would become one. As regards the constitution of the Executive Board, the final settlement is not entirely unsatisfactory, because it does not provide for free election in respect of the majority of the seats. At a meeting of the Commonwealth countries, at which we were present, it was stated by the representatives of Great Britain and Canada with a show of sincerity that we might rest assured that it would not be so long before Ireland would be a member of the Executive Board if she adhered to the Charter.