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agreed upon by all elements in the Organization. The Committee emphasized also " that the first part of the text, by reaffirming the fundamental principles on which the Organization is based, underlines that the Declaration does not in any way subtract from the existing force of the provisions of the Constitution of the Organization." In the opinion of the New Zealand Delegation (and, it might be added, of every other delegation present at Philadelphia), the Declaration of Aims and Purposes, having regard to the time and circumstances of its adoption as well as to its content, may rightly be regarded as the most significant social document ever subscribed to by a representative international gathering. It seems fitting, therefore, that its text should be reproduced in full in the body of this report. Three further points, however, merit special comment. In Part II of the Declaration reference is made to the " responsibilities of the International Labour Organization to examine and consider all international economic and financial policies and measures." As a result of the granting of this mandate, any doubt as to the competency of the 1.L.0. to interest itself in the general field of economic policy has now been definitely removed. "In the past the Organization's approach and its decisions tended to be limited by an artificial separation of social and labour policy from economic and financial policy. The Declaration of Philadelphia marks an end of this restrictive conception and a formal recognition of the truth that ' in international as in national affairs economic policy can no longer be an end in itself. It is merely a means for achieving social objectives-' "(/). Secondly, in defining (in Part 111 of the Declaration) the specific tasks of the Organization at the present time, priority is given to the promotion of full employment and of rising standards of living. Thus, for the first time, the Organization places " on record its positive responsibilities in this field. By doing so now, it recognizes the central importance of this task and accepts a specific obligation to direct its policies to this end "(1). Thirdly, it is pledged (in Part IV of the Declaration) that the 1.L.0. will co-operate fully with other international bodies in promoting the fuller and broader use of the world's productive resources. This pledge, as the report of the Drafting Committee points out, indicates clearly that the Organization realizes the part which other international agencies will be called upon to play, and that its own part, great as it may be in the treatment of social questions and in defining the social objective, is only a share of the task to be accomplished. The full text of the Declaration is as follows " Declaration concerning the Aims and Purposes of the International Labour Organization " The General Conference of the International Labour Organization, meeting in its Twentysixth Session in Philadelphia, hereby adopts, this tenth day of May in the year nineteen hundred and forty-four, the present Declaration of the aims and purposes of the International Labour Organization and of the principles which should inspire the policy of its Members. "I " The Conference reaffirms the fundamental principles on which the Organization is based and, in particular, that — " (a) Labour is not a commodity ; " (b) Freedom of expression and of association are essential to sustained progress ; " (c) Poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere ; " (d) The war against want requires to be carried on with unrelenting vigour within each nation, and by continuous and concerted international effort in which the representatives of workers and employers enjoying equal status with those of Governments, join with them in free discussion and democratic decision with a view to the promotion of the common welfare. " II " Believing that experience has fully demonstrated the truth of the statement in the Constitution of the International Labour Organization that lasting peace can be established only if it is based 011 social justice, the Conference affirms that— " (a) All human beings, irrespective of race, creed, or sex, have the right to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security, and equal opportunity ; " (b) The attainment of the conditions in which this shall be possible must constitute the central aim of national and international policy ; " (c) All national and international policies and measures, in particular those of an economic, and financial character, should be judged in this light and accepted only in so far as they may be held to promote and not to hinder the achievement of this fundamental objective ; " (d) It is a responsibility of the International Labour Organization to examine and consider all international economic and financial policies and measures in the light of this fundamental objective ; " (e) In discharging the tasks entrusted to it the International Labour Organization, having considered all relevant economic and financial factors, may include in its decisions and recommendations any provisions which it considers appropriate. "11l " The Conference recognizes the solemn obligation of the International Labour Organization to further among the nations of the world programmes which will achieve— " (a) Full employment and the raising of standards of living ; " (b) The employment of workers in the occupations in which they can have the satisfaction of giving the fullest measure of their skill and attainments and make their greatest contribution to the common well-being ;

(1) International Labour Review, July, 1944,

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