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Volume 8 1945~1948

Doc No.
Date
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No. 426 NAI DFA 408/22/19

Minute by Cornelius C. Cremin of an interdepartmental conference to consider Irish attendance at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment ('The Havana Conference')

Dublin, 11 October 1947

Department of Agriculture: Messrs. Foley1 and Nagle2
Department of Finance: Messrs. Hogan and Whitaker3
Revenue Commissioners: Mr. Haslam4
Dept. of Industry & Commerce: Mr. St. J. Connolly5
Dept. of External Affairs: Messrs. McCauley (in chair), Cremin and McCann

  1. The Chairman opened the proceedings by reference to the fact that Ireland and other non-UNO members invited would not have voting rights at the Conference. He informed the meeting that the Department of External Affairs had enquired from the Legations at Berne, Lisbon and Rome whether Switzerland, Portugal and Italy, which had been invited in the same conditions as ourselves, were accepting the invitation, and that, while no reply had yet been received from Lisbon, we were informed that Switzerland had accepted the invitation 'without enthusiasm', and that the Italian Government had declined the invitation as it felt that important decisions affecting Italian economy might be taken at Havana without Italy being in a position to record a vote. He added that the indications were that the Conference would last at least six to eight weeks. The Chairman then invited the representatives of the other Departments to express their views in regard to acceptance or otherwise of the invitation.
  2. Mr. St. J. Connolly stated that apart from the particular attitude he might adopt because of the fact that we would not have voting rights, the Minister for Industry & Commerce would, in general, be in favour of attendance at conferences of this character. He was not yet, however, in a position to give the definite views of his Ministers on the particular question of attendance at the Havana Conference. Mr. St. J. Connolly expressed the personal opinion that the Havana Conference might prove rather futile, as, while it is proposed to re-open discussion on the Draft Charter of the International Trade Organisation, it is difficult to see how anything new can be contributed to a subject which has been discussed intensively by the representatives of seventeen different countries for almost a year; he felt that a better procedure would have been for the members of the Preparatory Committee to set up an organisation in accordance with the Draft Charter drawn up at Geneva and to leave the organisation open to other States, subject to possible modifications in the rules. Mr. Hogan said that the Minister for Finance had not yet made up his mind as to whether the invitation should be accepted or refused, that he (the Minister for Finance) was rather impressed by the reasons against acceptance and that he felt that the issue was one for decision by the Government. The reasons against acceptance as they appear to the Minister and the Department of Finance are briefly that
    1. Ireland would carry small weight at the Conference;
    2. the Conference would be likely to be prolonged:
    3. full-scale attendance at the Conference would involve the presence in Havana, for a relatively considerable period of time, of a number of officials whose services could be better employed elsewhere; and
    4. the final result achieved by attendance of an Irish delegation would be likely to be small.

      Mr. Foley stated that it had not yet been possible to consult the Minister for Agriculture, but that the views of his Department were precisely similar to those expressed by Mr. Hogan. The Department of Agriculture felt, in particular, that full attendance at the Conference would involve the absence, for a considerable time, of a number of officials and that our influence on the discussions would be likely to be small. Mr. Haslam indicated that the Revenue Commissioners had not yet come to a definite decision, but that in view of the fact that the Charter contains important provisions relating to Customs, they would, if a delegation were sent from Dublin, wish to be represented on it.

  3. Arising out of the foregoing discussion which suggested that the meeting was not in favour of recommending acceptance, the point was made that Ireland as an invited country would, even if not present at the Conference, be able, in accordance with the terms of Article 68.1 of the Charter as at present drafted, to enter the International Trade Organisation, when established, on the same conditions as States represented at the Conference.
  4. The meeting then went on to consider possible reasons for acceptance of the invitation. The Chairman made the point that the fact that we have applied for membership of the United Nations and have failed to secure admission, only because of the opposition of one State, might make it desirable to accept the invitation to the Havana Conference convened by the United Nations, as it would show our anxiety to co-operate in the work of the United Nations. Mr. Hogan thought that while this might be an argument in favour of accepting the invitation, it would not necessarily lead to our sending a full delegation to Havana, as we could, e.g., accept the invitation and send, say, the Minister Plenipotentiary at Washington for the opening meeting. A second possible argument mentioned in favour of acceptance was that attendance at the Conference would lead to contacts between officials of the Departments here and their opposite numbers in other countries. The meeting did not regard this argument as of much weight. A third point made in this context was that presence at the Conference would enable a number of officials to become thoroughly familiar with the proceedings, and the contents and interpretation of the Charter. This argument was also regarded as of little weight. A fourth reason advanced in favour of attendance was that a delegation, even though not entitled to vote, would probably be able to influence the proceedings to some extent and to have any provisions in the Draft Charter to which we take exception either eliminated or modified so as to make them less objectionable. It was pointed out, however, that the most recent Draft represents such a degree of qualification of the original proposals that it is difficult to see how it would be possible to have them further watered down without rendering the Charter completely meaningless. It was also pointed out that in relation to the provisions of the Charter dealing with industrial development the attitude of countries like Australia and New Zealand will be very like ours so that it can be assumed that they and other countries in a similar position will at Havana in fighting their own case be also fighting ours. In matters relating to Customs Administration our ideas would probably coincide very closely with those of the British.
  5. The Chairman summarised the results of the meeting as follows:-
    1. The Departments represented felt that the attendance of a full-scale delegation at the Conference should not be recommended.
    2. The question whether or not the invitation should be accepted would depend on whether or not it was felt on grounds of policy that it would be better not to refuse to participate in the Conference as having been convened by the United Nations.
    3. Should it be decided that it would be better not to refuse the invitation, arrangements might be made for the Minister Plenipotentiary in Washington or a member of the Washington Legation staff to attend the opening session; item 8 of the Draft Agenda (statements by delegates on the general attitude of their Governments), which would be reached very soon after the opening of the Conference, would give our representative an opportunity to explain our position; he could be furnished with a statement indicating our general attitude towards the Report of the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee and explaining why it was not possible to have a large delegation present. The point was raised in this connection as to whether the Conference would not regard it as discourteous for a representative to attend the opening session only and not to be present for the main work of the Conference.
    It was decided that the Department of External Affairs should prepare (for submission to the Government) a draft memorandum in regard to the invitation setting out the arguments for and against the attendance of a full-scale delegation as discussed at the meeting, and dealing with the question of acceptance or refusal of the invitation in the light of the views, on this subject, of the Minister for External Affairs. This memorandum would be circulated to the various Departments concerned for approval or amendment. It was felt that there might be an advantage in submitting with the memorandum a summary statement as to the objects and provisions of the Charter.

1 Maurice Foley, Assistant Secretary, Department of Agriculture.

2 J.C. Nagle, Principal Officer of Division VII, Department of Agriculture.

3 Dr. Thomas Kenneth 'Ken' Whitaker (born 1916), Principal Officer, Department of Finance (1947-56), Secretary, Department of Finance (1956-69).

4 E.P. Haslam, Principal Officer, Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

5 St. John Connolly (1910-68), Principal Officer, Trade and Industries Branch, Department of Industry and Commerce.

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