Brazil were elected for a 3-year term and Mexico and the Philippines for a 2-year term; in 1950 Cuba and Pakistan were elected for a 2-year term.

The International Law Commission was established by a statute approved by the General Assembly November 21, 1947, and held its first session April 12 to June 9, 1949. All 15 of the members were elected by the General Assembly November 3, 1948. In 1950 the Assembly extended their term of office to a total of 5 years from their election in 1948. The members of the Commission do not represent the countries of which they are nationals. They act in their individual capacity as "persons of recognized competence in international law." The Commission is now composed of Manley O. Hudson (United States); Vladimir M. Koretsky (U.S.S.R); Sir Benegal N. Rau (India); Gilberto Amado (Brazil); Ricardo J. Alfaro (Panama); James Leslie Brierly (United Kingdom); Roberto Cordova (Mexico); J. P. A. Francois (Netherlands); Shuhsi Hsu (China); Faris Bey El-Khouri (Syria); A. E. F. Sandstrom (Sweden); Georges Scelle (France); Jean Spiropoulos (Greece); Jesus M. Yepes (Colombia); and Jaroslav Zourek (Czechoslovakia). The Commission is governed by its statute and is charged with the promotion of the progressive development of international law and the codification of public international law, as well as with specific assignments from the General Assembly.

In 1950 the General Assembly established a Peace Observation Commission which can observe and report on the situation in any area where there is international tension likely to endanger international peace and security. China, Colombia, Czechoslovakia, France, India, Iraq, Israel, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sweden, the U.S.S.R., the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay were named to the Peace Observation Commission for the calendar years 1951 and 1952. The services of the Commission are available under prescribed conditions to the General Assembly, the Interim Committee, and the Security Council. The Assembly this year also established a Collective Measures Committee to study and report to the Security Council and the General Assembly, not later than September 1, 1951, on methods and resources which might be made available to the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security. The members of the Collective Measures Committee are Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Egypt, France, Mexico, the Philippines, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia.

The Assembly has established a committee of 17 members to meet at Geneva August 1, 1951, for the purpose of preparing one or more preliminary draft conventions and proposals relating to the establishment and statute of an International Criminal Court. Australia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, France, India, Iran, Israel, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Syria, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay are represented on the Committee.

The Assembly in 1950 approved a statute establishing the Office of High Commissioner for Refugees and elected Dr. G. J. van Heuven Goedhart of the Netherlands as High Commissioner.

In addition, the General Assembly is assisted in its administrative and budgetary functions by small bodies composed not of representatives of states but of experts.

2. The Security Council

The Security Council consists of 11 members of the United Nations, 5 of which-China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United

Kingdom, and the United States-have permanent status. The remaining 6 are elected for 2-year terms by the General Assembly, taking into account article 23 of the Charter to the effect that "due regard" shall be paid to the contribution of members to the maintenance of international peace and security and to the other purposes of the United Nations, and to equitable geographic distribution. The nonpermanent members are not eligible for immediate reelection. During 1950 the membership was as follows:

In 1950 the General Assembly elected Brazil, the Netherlands, and Turkey for 2-year terms on the Council to replace Cuba, Egypt, and Norway on January 1, 1951.

Any member of the United Nations which is not a member of the Security Council may participate without vote in the Council's discussion of a question if the Council considers that member's interests are especially affected. Any state, member or nonmember of the United Nations, if it is a party to a dispute being considered by the Council, is invited to participate without vote in the discussions concerning that dispute.

Decisions in the Security Council are taken by an affirmative vote of seven members. Decisions on substantive questions are, however, adopted only if no permanent member casts a negative vote. The only exception to this rule is that, in regard to measures for peaceful settlement a party to a dispute must refrain from voting.

Members of the United Nations have, in the Charter, given to the Security Council the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security and have agreed that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Council is acting for all members. They have agreed to accept and carry out its decisions.

The Security Council functions continuously. During 1950 the Security Council held 72 meetings, all at Lake Success and at Flushing Meadow, N. Y. Most meetings are open, but this year there were nine closed meetings (when the Council's annual report to the Assembly was being discussed and when the appointment of the Secretary-General was under consideration). The president of the Council is one of the 11 representatives of members, each of whom serves for a month in rotation. Ambassador Warren R. Austin, United States representative, was president during October 1950.

The following standing and ad hoc committees and commissions report to the Security Council:

The Committee of Experts, on which all members of the Security Council are represented, examines the rules of procedure and such other matters as are entrusted to it by the Council. The Council's rules are still "provisional."

The Committee on the Admission of New Members, composed of representatives of all members of the Security Council, considers the qualifications of prospective new members of the United Nations.

The Military Staff Committee, composed of the chiefs of staff of the permanent members of the Security Council or their representatives, is established in accordance with article 47 of the Charter and advises and assists the Security Council on all questions relating to the Council's military requirements for the maintenance of international peace and security, the employment and command of forces placed at its disposal, the regulation of armaments, and possible disarmament. During 1950 the Committee held 26 meetings.

The Atomic Energy Commission, on which all members of the Security Council and Canada (even when not a member of the Council) are represented, was established by the General Assembly to deal with the problems of establishing effective international control of atomic energy and related matters. Pursuant to the General Assembly resolution of November 4, 1948, and a decision taken by a majority of the members of the Commission, the negotiating responsibility was transferred to the permanent members of the Security Council and Canada. The Commission for Conventional Armaments, on which each member of the Security Council has a representative, is charged with formulating recommendations for the regulation and reduction of conventional armaments and armed forces and for practical and effective safeguards in this connection. During 1950 the Commission, including its working committee of the whole, held a total of seven meetings.

A General Assembly resolution of December 13, 1950, has made provision for the establishment of a committee of 12, consisting of representatives of the members of the Security Council as of January 1, 1951, together with Canada, to consider and report to the next Assembly session on ways and means whereby the work of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Commission for Conventional Armaments may be coordinated and on the advisability of their functions being merged and placed under a new and consolidated disarmament commission.

The United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan, composed of representatives of Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Czechoslovakia, and the United States, was established by the Security Council in 1948 to make its good offices available to the Governments of India and Pakistan in order to bring about a solution of the future of the state of Kashmir in accordance with the will of its people. Pursuant to a resolution adopted by the Security Council on March 14, 1950, providing for the appointment of a United Nations representative for India and Pakistan, the powers and responsibilities of the Commission were transferred on July 1, 1950, to Sir Owen Dixon (Australia), who had been appointed to this post on April 12, 1950.

The United Nations Commission for Indonesia (formerly the Committee of Good Offices), composed of representatives of Australia, Belgium, and the United States, was set up on January 28, 1949, to render its good offices to the Netherlands and Indonesia in an effort to get both parties to negotiate their differences, observe their compliance with cease-fire orders, mediate special issues between them, and make concrete proposals to the parties for solution of their differences.

3. The Economic and Social Council

The Economic and Social Council is responsible for making or initiating studies and reports concerning international economic, social, cultural, educational, health, and related matters; for the promotion of respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms; and for making recommendations with respect to any such matters to the General Assembly, to the members of the United Nations, and to the specialized agencies concerned.

The Council is composed of one representative each from 18 member states, six countries being elected each year by the General Assembly to serve for a period of 3 years. During 1950 the following were represented:

As a rule two sessions, each lasting approximately 6 weeks, are held during a year. The tenth session was held at Lake Success from February 7, 1950, to March 6, 1950, and the eleventh session was convened on July 5, 1950, at Geneva, Switzerland. On August 16, 1950, the Council decided not to adjourn but to recess in view of the emergency situation which had arisen in Korea. A continuation of the eleventh session of the Council was called in October to work out specific plans for Korean relief and rehabilitation. The eleventh session of the Council was finally adjourned on December 13, 1950. The representative from Chile, Ambassador Hernan Santa Cruz, served as president for the year 1950, assisted by Sir Ramaswami Mudaliar (India) and Fernand Dehousse (Belgium), first and second vice presidents.

The Council has nine functional commissions and three regional commissions. The work of the Council itself is carried on through plenary sessions and through the Council's Agenda Committee, Economic Committee, Social Committee, Technical Assistance Committee, Coordination Committee, Committee on Nongovernmental Organizations, Interim Committee on Program of Meetings, Committee on Negotiations with Specialized Agencies, which is charged with negotiating agreements between the United Nations and the specialized agencies whereby the activities of the latter organizations are coordinated with those of the United Nations, and various ad hoc committees established as and when necessary for specific purposes.

FUNCTIONAL COMMISSIONS

All functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council meet in New York at Lake Success as a rule, although meetings can be and are held elsewhere when a change is useful to the work.