A—7

OTHER MATTERS DEALT WITH A number of matters other than the topics already discussed were dealt with by the Conference. Amongst these the following deserve special note. (a) Fact-finding and Conciliation Commission The Government of South Africa placed before the Conference a resolution concerning the Fact-finding and Conciliation Commission on Freedom of Association. The Governing Body of the 1.L.0. had set up this Commission in agreement with United Nations and following discussion of the matter in the thirty-first session of the Conference in conjunction with the resolution on freedom of association. That session of the Conference had enjoined the Governing Body to pursue its negotiations with United Nations on the matter of setting up such a Commission. The South African Government's resolution suggested that the Governing Body had received no final direction or authority from the Conference, that the Governing Body had no power to take such action on its own initiative, and that the Conference itself, under the terms of its Constitution, had no power to authorize the Governing Body to set up such a Commission. The report of the Selection Committee, which was adopted by the Conference, approved and confirmed the decisions of the Governing Body in setting up the Commission. The matter was of particular interest to New Zealand, one of the nine Judges appointed to the Commission being Mr. Justice Tyndall, C.M.G., Judge of the New Zealand Court of Arbitration. (b) Action Against Unemployment Arising out of an initiative taken by Mr. Roberts, workers' member, United Kingdom, a resolution was placed before the Conference drawing the attention of international organizations, Governments, employers, and workers to certain measures against unemployment. These measures included : systems of unemployment benefits providing at least a socially acceptable minimum standard of living; adequate statistics of employment, unemployment, and under-employment; and various aspects of Government policy bearing upon the maintenance of a level of aggregate demand conducive to the maintenance of full employment. There was a division of opinion on this resolution. Government members generally supported" it. The employers' group opposed it on the grounds that it envisaged a planned economy which, they feared, would encourage an undue measure of Government interference in industry. The Government members for both the United Kingdom and the United States, however, put forward the view that the resolution covered no activities beyond those already being undertaken by their Governments and did no more than invite Governments to give consideration to the various measures mentioned. The resolution was adopted.

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