At its Second Session (April 1948) the Council had resolved that all nations participating in the activities of the International Emergency Food Committee should be asked for an expression of opinion on “the past operation and on current and future problems IEFC has to face” and on “the effectiveness and usefulness of the system of allocations for the future.”
This inquiry was conducted by the International Emergency Food Committee, the results of which have been presented to the Council at its present Session (CL 4/5). They were supplemented by verbal statements made during the Session.
The Council notes that while there is unanimous agreement among Member-Governments, that IEFC has performed and is still performing a very useful function resulting in a more equitable distribution of foods in short supply than would otherwise have been possible, there is a wide variation of opinion regarding the desirability of continuing the allocation system. The Brazilian delegate stated that in his view allocations should now be completely terminated because of price and currency factors.
The system is, however, quite flexible. The number of Commodity Committees has been reduced from a maximum of 14 to 5 at present and allocation recommendations are discontinued as soon as it becomes evident that a commodity is no longer in short supply or that useful allocation recommendations can no longer be made. There is, further, a great deal of flexibility in the methods whereby allocation recommendations are made.
The Council agrees that this policy should be pursued and that the Commodity Committees are best qualified to make all necessary determinations as soon as circumstances permit.
In the light of the above observations the Council approves the Report of IEFC for transmission to the Conference.
The delegates from Cuba and Brazil did not believe that the Council could appropriately approve the Report since its voting membership was limited to eighteen Members of IEFC Committees. They thought the Council should merely have taken note of the Report and transmit it, together with the views expressed at this Session, in the Conference for any action it might wish to take.
