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2. The Canadian Government set up a Preparatory Committee to make all arrangements for the first session of the Interim Council, which convened in August, 1945. The Interim Council was charged with supervising and co-ordinating the work of three technical Committees —Air Transport (Economic), Air Navigation (Technical), and International Convention on Civil Aviation —to consider their reports, and make appropriate recommendations therefrom to member States. During the past nine months the major work of the first sessions of the Divisions and Sub-committees of the technical Committees has been the drafting of " Standards, Practices, and Procedures " for international civil aviation, the development of plans for radio aids and meterological and search rescue services in regional areas along the world's international air routes, and the study of . a draft Multilateral Agreement on Commercial Rights in International Civil Air Transport. After reviewing and adopting final reports of the respective Committees and forwarding them to member States, the Interim Council called for the first session of the Interim Assembly. FIRST INTERIM ASSEMBLY 3. The First Interim Assembly convened at 3.00 p.m. on the 21st day of May, 1946, and was attended by delegates from 44 member States, 10 non-member States, and 8 international organizations, as follows, the numerical strength of delegations being shown in parentheses : Member States. —Afghanistan (5), Argentina (2), Australia (19), Belgium (7), Bolivia (2), Brazil (4), Canada (13), Chile (3), China (13), Colombia (2), Czechoslovakia (3), Denmark (3), Dominican Republic (1), Egypt (2), Ethiopia (1), France (13), Haiti (2), Honduras (1), Iceland (3), India (4), Iraq (2), Ireland (8), Lebanon (1), Liberia (1), Luxembourg (1), Mexico (5), Netherlands (9), New Zealand (4), Nicaragua (1), Norway (4), Paraquay (1), Peru (4), Philippine Commonwealth (6), Poland (1), Portugal (5), Spain (3), Sweden (3), Switzerland (2), Syria (1), Turkey (2), Union of South Africa (1), United Kingdom (17), United States (64), Venezuela (4); total, 44 (252). Non-member States. —Costa Rica (1), Cuba (8), Ecuador (1), Guatemala (1), Iran (1), Italy (1), Panama (1), Siam (1), Uruguay (1), Yugoslavia (1) ; total, 10 (17). International Organizations.—Comite International Technique d'Experts Juridiques Aeriens (CITEJA) (2), International Air Transport Association (lATA) (13), International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN) (1), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) (1), International Labour Organization (ILO) (4), International Tele-communications Union (ITU) (1), United Nations Organization (UNO) (1), International Bureau—Universal Postal Union (1.8. — U.P.U.) (1); total, 8 (24). The New Zealand delegation comprised— Chairman : Hon. David Wilson, New Zealand High Commissioner in Canada. Delegate : Group Captain T. W. White, Air Attache; New Zealand representative to PIC AO. Alternate : Mr. W. L. Middlemass, Assistant Secretary, Office of the High Commissioner in Canada. Secretary : Miss Lillian Tucker, Office of the High Commissioner, Ottawa. AGENDA 4. The agenda for the First Assembly included — (1) Opening of the Session by the President of the Interim Council: (2) Addresses of welcome by Canadian authorities and acknowledgment by President of the Council: (3) Addresses by Chairmen of national delegations : (4) Adoption of the Provisional Rules of Procedure :

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