I am enclosing herewith a memorandum regarding the forthcoming meeting of the Petroleum Committee of the I.L.O. to be held in Los Angeles which gives some background to this matter and also to the work of other committees of the I.L.O. You will note that we are committed by Government decision to participate in this work. You will note also that the Government representation at meetings of the various committees can consist of one or two officials. I suggest in the case of the Los Angeles meeting that one Government representative would he enough and we can leave it to the Department of Labour to decide who he will be.⁸²

You will also note that the expenses of representatives of labour and employers are paid by the I.L.O. itself.

I think we will have to go further into the whole question of the amount of time, energy and money involved in meetings of this kind.

L.B. PEARSON

[PIÈCE JOINTE/ENCLOSURE]

Note du chef de la Directlon des traités
pour le sous-secrétaire d'État aux Affaires extérieures

Memorandum from Head, Treaty Division,
to Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs

[Ottawa], January 21, 1947

PETROLEUM COMMITTEE OF THE I.L.O.

1. At its 94th Session (London, January 1945), the Governing Body of the International Labour Office decided to set up a number of industrial committees, including a Committee on the Petroleum Industry.

The decision arose out of a proposal submitted by the Government of the United Kingdom at the 91st Session of the Governing Body (London, December 1943). Before this a number of suggestions had been made by various trade unions with the object of providing the I.L.O. with special machinery for dealing with the problems of particular industries. The text of the British proposal, together with an account of the previous suggestions and discussions on the subject, is to be found in Appendix VII to the Minutes of the 91st Session.

II. Order-in-Council P.C. 6852 of November 15, 1945, regarding the establishment of Standing Industrial Committees of the International Labour Organisation for certain of the major world industries approved the principle of the representation of Canada on these committees.

III. The delegation from each country represented on the Committee may consist of two Government representatives, two representatives of the employers' organisations, and two representatives of the workers' organisations having a substantial membership in the industry.

IV. The Canadian Government, through his [sic] representative on the Governing Body of the I.L.O., had agreed to the setting up of the Petroleum Committee, the convocation of its first session, and also its present composition, which includes Canada.

V. It has unanimously been agreed by all three groups (Gts, Employees and Workers) of the Governing Body of the I.L.O. that the Industrial Committees have so far been successful and that they may prove one of the most important mechanisms of the Organisation. The only reservation so far put forward by any one was by the Australian Government member at the last session of the Governing Body. He suggested, at the request of his Government, that sufficient time should elapse between sessions of the Committees for their preparation.

VI. In deciding upon the representation of Canada at the forthcoming meeting of the Petroleum Committee, it should be borne in mind that Canada is one of the eight States Members of chief industrial importance entitled to a permanent seat on the Governing Body of the I.L.O., and that the Canadian petroleum industry, with its large investments in South America, is one of major importance.

It should further be borne in mind that the travelling expenses and subsistence allowances of the employers' and workers members will be borne by the International Labour Office.

VII. The agenda for the forthcoming meeting will consist of the following items:

(a) The social problems of the industry during the period of transition from war to peace;

(b) Future international co-operation concerning social policy and its economic foundations in the industry.

P.E. RENAUD

⁸¹Pour la Banque internationale pour la reconstruction et le développement et le Fonds monitaire international, voir la 9^e panic de ce chapitre.
For International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Monetary Fund, see Part 9 of this chapter.

⁸²Décret C.P. 203.
Order in Council P.C. 203.