HC Deb 07 March 1945 vol 408 cc2038-40W
Mr. R. Duckworth

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can make any statement about the progress of the U.N.R.R.A. Conference at Sydney.

Mr. George Hall

The Conference of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration at Sydney, which should more correctly be described as the 7th Session of the Far Eastern Regional Committee of the Council of U.N.R.R.A., opened on 15th February and closed on 20th February. It was held under the chairmanship of Dr. T. F. Tsiang, the representative of the Chinese Republic. His Majesty's Government were represented by Sir Paul Butler, a distinguished member of His Majesty's Foreign Service, with wide Far Eastern experience. Australia, China, France, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States of America were also represented. The Session was preceded by meetings of the five Technical Sub-Committees for the Far East, which began their labours in the last week of January. Special delegates from the United Kingdom had been sent to these sub-committees. Detailed reports of the proceedings and minutes of the meetings have not yet been received. The following information has, therefore, been compiled from such telegraphic summaries as are available.

The Session of the Regional Committee was opened by the Australian representative, Dr. Evatt, with a speech which has been widely reported in the Press. After receiving a report from the staff of the Administration on the activities of its Far Eastern division, the committees proceeded to discuss reports and recommendations submitted by the technical subcommittees. Among the most important of these were a recommendation of the Sub-Committee on Agriculture about measures to increase the production of rice and encourage the use of alternative cereals in liberated areas; a proposal by the same sub-committee for the establishment of a veterinary consultative body for the Far East, similar to that suggested for Europe; and the submission by the Sub-Committee on Health of a draft agreement for the health and sanitary control of displaced persons in the Far East. These and other recommendations of the subcommittees were accepted and embodied in suitable resolutions by the committee.

The committee also adopted a Resolution regarding the importance of arranging for transport facilities as early as possible; a Resolution regarding the supply of regular information to the committees and the Administration about the conditions in occupied countries; and one giving the chairman power to call another meeting of the committee, if necessary, before the next Session of the Council. The most important Resolution adopted was that proposed by Dr. Evatt, which made three recommendations:

  1. (1) that the Administration should arrange with the Governments and other authorities concerned for the earliest possible measures to be taken to provide relief immediately upon liberation;
  2. (2) that the maximum degree of decentralisation should be established between the central and regional offices of the Administration; and
  3. (3) that the officers of the Administration should be selected, with due regard to their special local knowledge, from a wide range of member countries.
These recommendations have since been submitted to the Central Committee of U.N.R.R.A. in Washington.

Representatives of the South-West Pacific Command and of the South-East Asia Command attended the Conference and are understood to have made statements on behalf of the military authorities about the progress of military relief for civil populations, but the texts of their statements have not yet been received.

On the whole, the Sydney Conference appears to have achieved substantial results, and it may be hoped that it will result in increased practical activity for relief in the Far East.