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had tabled. After the general discussion the Article or Articles concerned, together with proposed amendments, were referred to sub-committees for detailed study and report back to the Commission, with, if possible, a draft text. The sub-committees were indispensable to enable discussions to get down to detail. A sub-committee normally consisted of six Members chosen from those who had shown most interest in the subject, but it was possible for non-Members to observe the proceedings and to explain their viewpoint on matters of particular concern. The New Zealand Delegation took full advantage of this procedure. The Reports of sub-committees, after consideration in the appropriate Commission, were referred to a Legal Drafting Committee for review of the English and French texts, and were then submitted to the final Executive and Plenary Sessions of the Preparatory Committee which met on 22 and 23 August 1947. (12) Early in its meetings the Committee gave considerable thought to the problem of consultation with non-governmental organizations. Because of pressure of business at the First Session,and because most of the Committee's work was conducted in closed meetings, the nongovernmental organizations had comparatively limited opportunities to observe the discussions or to enter into consultation on matters of interest to them. The desirability of making a more adequate arrangement during the Second Session was recognized, and accordingly a Consultative Committee was established consisting of representatives from the Australian, Chinese, Czechoslovakian, Indian, French, Norwegian, United Kingdom, and United States delegations who had special knowledge of the draft Charter. This Committee held a series of meetings with the representatives of certain non-governmental organizations, in the course of which it heard the views of such representatives and explained the viewpoint of the Preparatory Committee on the points raised. After a time it was found necessary to extend membership of the Consultative Committee to include representatives from all delegations. These representatives constituted a panel from which four or five representatives of the Preparatory Committee were selected for each meeting with any of the non-governmental organizations. The views of non-governmental organizations were recorded at meetings of the Consultative Committee and circulated among the sub-committees dealing with the portions of the draft Charter concerned. (13) In July 1947 the Preparatory Committee, in order to expedite arrangements for the World Conference, submitted to the Economic and Social Council and interim report, which, after reviewing the progress of the Committee's work, made recommendations as to the agenda of the World Conference, the date and place of the World Conference, and the invitation to it of non-members of the United Nations. The relevant sections of this interim report are reproduced in Part 111, Enclosure I, of the Preparatory Committee's Report which has been printed separately.*

Parliamentary Paper A-2eee (External Affairs Publication No. 41.)