A.—3a

The first step taken in furtherance of the terms of this resolution was the appointment by the European Technical Advisory Sub-committee on Health of an Expert Commission on Quarantine, with instructions to draft for the sub-committee's consideration international sanitary agreements of an emergency nature designed to lake effect at the earliest possible date and to continue through the immediate post-war period. The report of this Expert Commission was transmitted in due course through the Committee of the Council for Europe to the Standing Technical Committee on Health for further action. The Commission's initial recommendations in the meantime had been revised in the light of discussions in Washington with representatives of the United States Public Health Service and the Pan American Sanitary Bureau. The recommendations thus arrived at were incorporated in two draft agreements, the substance of which was approved by the Standing Technical Committee on Health at a meeting 011 19th June, 1944, the Committee requesting the [)irector-( ien era! of UNRRA to circulate the proposals among member Governments for their views. These two draft agreements provide for many procedures relating to quarantine and epidemic disease control which were actually in effect prior to the war under the terms of the International Sanitary Convention of 1926 and, the International Sanitary Convention for Aerial Navigation of 1933, to both of which a substantial majority of the United Nations were adhering. The Expert Commission's proposals, however, involved certain modifications and revisions of the original conventions which in its judgment were necessary by reason of more recent acquisition of new knowledge in respect to methods of disease control and by reason, too, of the growing volume; find increasing speed of air traffic. Under the original conventions the International Office of Public Health at Paris was made responsible for the receipt of epidemiological information, for its distribution to the principal public health authorities of the participating Governments, and for certain other administrative duties. .Since, owing to war conditions, the functions of this Office are temporarily in abeyance the proposed new agreements as recommended by the Expert Commission make provision for the carrying-out of these functions by UNRRA withoutprejudice to the future status of the International Office of Public Health. The revised agreements are therefore temporary in character and designed to meet the obvious necessity of re-establishing a reliable international epidemiological service at the earliest possible moment, particularly in view of the problems which arise in this field in connection with the movement of displaced persons. Thus, in transmitting the drafts to member Governments for their consideration, (he hope was expressed that they would be in a position to sign the agreements at the time of the second session of the Council or shortly thereafter. As originally recommended by the Expert Commission on Quarantine and considered by the Standing Technical Committee on Health at its meeting in June, 1944, the draft agreements were in the form of amendments to the existing conventions. As circulated to member Governments, however, they took the form of entirely new emergency agreements. Subsequently, certain legal and other difficulties arose as a result of which it was tentatively decided that it would be desirable 1o revert to the form originally recommended by the Expert Commission —i.e., that the existing conventions should be amended in the manner proposed by the Committee of the Council of UNRRA. The preliminary drafts of the two conventions (Maritime and Aerial, respectively) were considered at Montreal by a drafting sub-committee appointed by the ad hoc Committee on Procedure whose report and accompanying resolution was accepted unanimously by the Council—the Soviet member refraining from voting or participating in the discussion since his Government was not a party to the 1933 (Aerial) Convention. The resolution adopted approves the preliminary drafts in principle, requests the Director-General to transmit copies to member Governments for their early consideration, requests that such member Governments submit their comments not later than November, 1944, requires copies of such comments to be circulated to all member Governments immediately they are received by UNRRA, and instructs the Health Committee to prepare in the light of such comments final drafts of the conventions at a special meeting to be held as soon as practical but not later than Ist December. Finally, the Director-General is requested to arrange for the conventions to be opened for signature not later than 15th. December, 1944, and for them to remain open for signature until 15th January, 1945. The Director-General is further authorized to undertake the functions set out in the emergency amending conventions for the period for which they are to remain in force, at the end of which time it is hoped that the International Office of Public Health will be able to resume its full responsibilities. CONCLUSION It was no secret prior to the Montreal meeting that there was a certain amount of apprehension both inside and outside UNRRA concerning the efficiency of the preparations made for the active work which will now probably have to be begun in the very near future. The Director-General's report, while cautious and correct in tone, nevertheless appeared to convey an impression that he had not in all respects received the active co-operation of Governments without which the efficient functioning of the Administration is impossible, while Mr. Law declared that " UNRRA has fallen back in the public mind and in the

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