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After a long discussion of the Committee's competence to discuss the problem., the Chairman's affirmative ruling was upheld. It was then decided by 21 votes to 14 with 13 abstentions to delete the article. New Zealand abstained on both votes. The Committee also considered a Haitian amendment for deletion of Article 11 of the convention—the so-called colonial application clause enabling contracting parties to control the application of the convention to their dependent territories. The effect of deletion would be to make the convention immediately applicable to all territories, metropolitan and dependent. It was contended that to exclude administered territories from certain conventions on the grounds of their backwardness was a violation of the Charter. The representative of the United Kingdom, which had been specifically mentioned as a typical administering Power, stated that many of the territories under United Kingdom administration enjoyed a considerable degree of self-government: it was consequently impossible for the United Kingdom Government to impose acceptance of international conventions upon them. Since it was in fact necessary for the United Kingdom Government to consult all their colonial Administrations, they favoured retention of the clause which prevented colonial participation from being made automatic. Deletion might make it impossible for the United Kingdom to sign certain conventions and would, in any case, cause great delay (owing to the constitutional procedure involved) before the United Kingdom and its colonial territories could accede. The amendment would deny to other territories the privilege that Haiti herself would certainly exercise—that of deciding to accept or reject the convention. The arguments of Haiti were supported by the Soviet Union and other States of Eastern Europe, together with certain '• ex-colonial " Powers, but the amendment was defeated by 17 votes (N.Z.) to 13 with 14 abstentions. The draft resolution, after slight amendment, was adopted in the Committee by 29 votes (N.Z.) to 4 with 10 abstentions, and in the Assembly by 29 votes (N.Z.) to 11 with 12 abstentions. Transfer to the United Nations of the Functions Exercised by the French Government Under the International Agreement of 18 May, 1904, and the International Convention of 4 May, 1910, for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, and the Agreement of 4 May, 1910, for the Suppression of the Circulation of Obscene Publications This transfer of functions was proposed by the French Government to the Economic and Social Council, which directed the SecretaryGeneral to prepare, in consultation with the French Government, protocols for the purpose of effecting the transfer and to submit them to the General Assembly for approval.
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