Draft Convention on Freedom of Information

V. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE
426. Draft Convention on Freedom of Information

The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 313 (IV) of 20 October 1949, the recommendation[1] of the sixth session of the Commission on Human Rights regarding freedom of information and the discussion[2] concerning that recommendation at the eleventh session of the Economic and Social Council, Considering that freedom of information and the Purposes of the United Nations are indivisible,

1. Appoints a Committee consisting of the representatives of the following fifteen countries: Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, France, India, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Yugoslavia, which shall meet at the Headquarters of the United Nations as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March 1951, to prepare a draft Convention on Freedom of Information, taking into consideration the draft [3] approved by the United Nations Conference on Freedom of Information held at Geneva from 23 March to 21 April 1948; the text [4] voted during the second part of the third session of the General Assembly; article 14 of the provisional text[5] of the draft First International Covenant on Human Rights; and the observations[6] contained in the summary records of the meetings of the Third Committee dealing with the question;

2. Requests the Committee to report to the Economic and Social Council at its thirteenth session on the results of its work and to submit recommendations, in particular, with regard to the advisability of convening a conference of plenipotentiaries with a view to the framing and signature of a Convention on Freedom of Information;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to submit the Committee's report, together with the draft or drafts of the Convention prepared by the Committee, to the various governments concerned for their consideration;

4. Invites the governments so consulted to transmit their suggestions and observations to the Secretary-General by 15 June 1951;

5. Recommends the Economic and Social Council to consider the Committee's report at its thirteenth session and if it thinks fit, in the light of the Committee's recommendations and the observations of governments, and also taking into consideration the General Assembly's wish that one or more conventions to ensure freedom of information in the world should be adopted as soon as possible, to convene a conference of plenipotentiaries to meet as soon as possible and not later than 1 February 1952, with a view to the framing and signature of a Convention on Freedom of Information, based on the draft or drafts prepared by the above-mentioned Committee and on the observations of governments.

325th plenary meeting,
14 December 1950.

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[1] See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Fifth Year, Eleventh Session, Supplement No. 5, annex IV. [2] See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Eleventh Session, 404th meeting, and document E/AC.7/SR.139. [3] See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fourth Session, Third Committee, Annex, documents A/961 and A/C.3/ 518, and A/C.3/518/Corr.1. [4] See resolution 277 A (III). [5] See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Fifth Year, Eleventh Session, Supplement No. 5, annex I. [6] See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifth Session, Third Committee, 320th-324th meetings.