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inter alia: " The war against want requires to be carried on with unrelenting vigour . . . and by continuous and concerted international effort The whole Declaration, in effect, lays upon member States the obligation to promote freedom from want, wherever and whenever want occurs. In addition, it may be noted that if the Asian countries could attain even a moderate level, by Western standards, of the industrialization with which they are preoccupied the whole economy of the world would require adjustment, while rising standards of living would open up enormous markets to other countries. These are not unreal possibilities, and they may not be ignored. Regional conferences of the Asian countries are of deep concern to New Zealand. 2. REGIONAL ORGANIZATION GENERALLY The basic structure of international organization is functional, and not regional• The United Nations, acting through the Economic and Social Council, is assisted by the Commissions which it establishes under Article 68 of its Charter. It is generally accepted that these Commissions are to be world-wide in extent, and to have specialized functions allocated to them. While, in fact, two regional Commissions have been established, it is understood that functional organization is to be preferred. The International Labour Organization is a functional institution, and it might be thought that regional conferences contravene the principle expressed above. It is admirably demonstrated, however, in the Report of the Director-General, that the International Labour Office has a completely responsible and far-seeing attitude towards the co-ordination of its regional and general activities. In the first place, three regional Conferences (of the North and South American States) have already been held, in accordance with Article 19 of the original Constitution of the Organization. Again, the proposal to hold an Asian Regional Conference was first put forward in the early " thirties " and has been repeatedly renewed in the years between. The basic impetus towards a regional approach to Asian problems comes from the fact that economically and socially, in religious and secular thought and custom, the East differs greatly from the West, and while the International Labour Organization has heretofore concentrated on the problems of industrial Europe, many of the results of its work have been somewhat unreal when applied to Asian conditions. It is by no means intended that separate standards should develop for the two great groups of nations, but it is very necessary that the Asian peoples should raise the standards of their industrial law and of its enforcement up to the level, at least, of the International Labour Code. The Director-General also pointed out that it was the main function of this Preparatory Conference to survey social and economic development from several angles and to refer its resolutions to the Governing Body: — " This ensures," he said, " that the resolutions adopted will not remain the expression of mere pious hopes, but that the governing body will examine what are the appropriate steps which can be taken to secure for them practical application, whether, for example, by referring them for action to the International Labour Conference under its constitutional powers, or by authorizing the Office to undertake such studies or inquiries as occasion may require. The governing body is thus an essential link between the regional conferences and the action of the Organization as a whole, and its coordinating function immensely strengthens the actions of the conferences in question and their potentialities. Moreover, the action of the governing body is not now confined to action only within the framework of the International Labour Organization. The International Labour Organization has been recognized as a specialized agency by the United Nations; and, while it maintains its complete independence, it has undertaken to co-ordinate its work with the United Nations and with the other specialized agencies. Under the agreement with the United Nations, approved on the one side by the International Labour Conference and on the other by the Assembly of the United Nations, the two institutions are represented at each others meetings and may request the insertion of items on the agenda of such meetings. Thus a much wider and more effective co-ordination of international effort becomes possible under the segis of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations than hitherto." " The purpose of regional conferences of this kind," the Director-General also stated, " is to devote particular attention to the special problems of the region and to consider ways and means of raising existing social standards to the level of the general international standards embodied in the Conventions and Recommendations adopted by the International Labour Conferences."

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