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as a token of New Zealand's support of objectives of the International Labour ■Organization and it would strengthen the International Labour Organization s •efforts to secure wider acceptance by less-advanced countries of the standards set in the Conventions. . . These and other problems were the subjects of discussion, particularly in view of the fact that it is not always the highly industrialized nations or States which have the most progressive social laws. Indeed, this was one of -the points brought up for discussion, especially in regard to representation on the Governing Body, and it was laid down as one of the points from the Working Committee "that the Governing Body should be composed of representatives of States which are most advanced socially, but not necessarily •of chief industrial importance." The entire question of the Constitution —its ramifications and its relationship to the United Nations Charter—raised questions of great complexity. At the time of meeting the Economic and Social Council of the United .Nations —the body which will be responsible for negotiating an agreement with the International Labour Organization—had not yet been set up and the -views of the United Nations Organization on the subject were subsequently not known.. In the Constitution Committee itself a long and serious discussion of a protracted nature surrounded the proposed amendment to Article 36 of the existing Constitution, Article 36 of the existing Constitution reads: — Amendments to this part of • the present treaty which are adopted by the Conferences by a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast; by the delegates present shall take effect when ratified by the States whose representatives composed the Council of the League of Nations, and by three-quarters .of the members. The proposed alteration submitted by the Office of the International Labour Organization was as follows: — Amendments to this Constitution which are adopted by the Conferences by a majority •of two-thirds of the votes cast by the delegates present shall take effect when ratified by two-thirds of the members of the Organization, including two-thirds of the eight members which are represented on the Governing Body as members of chief industrial importance in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of this Constitution providing that no amendments to Article i 9 or 55 shall operate to place a new obligation on any member of the Organization without the consent of that member. The article in question involved the contentious problem of the veto by the larger and more politically powerful nations, such as those who had constituted the Council of the defunct League of Nations. It was evident that the San Francisco discussion in regard to the veto within the Charter of the United Nations had awakened interest in this matter. The ensuing discussion was prolonged and keen. Exception was taken to the existing Article and also to the proposed .amendments by many delegates, and I, acting on behalf of New Zealand workers, supported the abolition of the veto. Both the existing Article 36 and the proposed amendment were consequently modified. The following proposal was brought down to the Conference and adopted:—• Amendmentsi to this Constitution which are adopted by the Conference by a majority ,of two-thirds of the votes cast by the delegates present shall take effect when ratified or accepted by two-thirds of the members of the Organization, including five of the eight members which are represented on the Governing Body as members! of the chief industrial importance in accordance with provisions of paragraph 3 of Article 7 of this Constitution. Speaking on this at the Plenary Session of the Conference at which it was adopted, I made the following observations: — A measure of veto is contained in the Resolution submitted, but, as the report says, •■"the provision was considerably liberalized after opposing views had been expressed." It was the expressed desire of the Committee to present the document which all could support "here for the purpose of making way for the other necessary Resolutions and, without deviating from that intention, I desire to make New Zealand's attitude quite clear.

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