The 7th Session of the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization will take place this year in Brighton, England, beginning on June 16 and lasting approximately three weeks. This year's session will be the first in three years to deal with the whole range of ICAO's activities. In 1950, the decision was taken to hold "major" assemblies only once every three years. Accordingly the 1951 and 1952 meetings were confined to a review of financial and administrative matters. This year's assembly will assume added significance for Canada as it is to be expected that the old issue of moving the Organization's Headquarters from Montreal to a European or a Latin American site will be raised again. In view of these considerations it would seem desirable that a strong Canadian Delegation be sent to Brighton.

At the last major ICAO Assembly in 1950, Canada sent a delegation of twelve headed by the Minister of Transport. After consideration of the provisional agenda of the Assembly and in consultation with the other departments interested, the Chairman of the Air Transport Board has recommended with the agreement of the Minister of Transport that this year's delegation be made up of five persons with possibly four to five advisers. The Delegation would include representation from the Air Transport Board, the Department of Transport and the Department of External Affairs with advisory representation from the same departments. In addition, a representative of the Department of Finance would attend either as a delegate or as an advisor. It is suggested that the delegation should be headed by a Minister.

The Acting Secretary of State for External Affairs therefore recommends

1) that the Minister of Transport be designated as Chairman of the Canadian Delegation to the 7th Session of the ICAO Assembly;

2) that authority be granted to the Minister of Transport and the Secretary of State for External Affairs in consultation to designate the remainder of the Canadian Delegation along the lines suggested above.

BROOKE CLAXTON