Organization and methods of functioning of visiting missions

V. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
434. Organization and methods of functioning of visiting missions

The General Assembly, Considering that, under Article 85, paragraph 1, of the Charter, the functions of the United Nations with regard to Trusteeship Agreements for all areas not designated as strategic shall be exercised by the General Assembly, Considering that, under Article 87 c of the Charter, the General Assembly and, under its authority, the Trusteeship Council, may provide for periodic visits to the respective Trust Territories at times agreed upon with the Administering Authority, Noting that visiting missions of the Trusteeship Council have now visited each of the Trust Territories for the first time and have submitted valuable reports to the Council, Noting that these missions were the first of their kind and that the time during which they remained in each of the Trust Territories did not permit them to make a thorough study of some of the problems existing in the Trust Territories, Considering that, since it has been customary for the Trusteeship Council to study the possibility of improving the organization and membership as well as the methods and functioning of visiting missions, the commencement in 1951 of a second series of visits to the Trust Territories presents an opportunity to review these matters again,

1. Recommends accordingly that the Trusteeship Council should undertake another such review in order to ensure that the most effective use will be made in future of this important function of the General Assembly and of the Council, taking into consideration for that purpose the observations and suggestions made during the discussion of this matter at the fifth session of the General Assembly and taking into account the advisability of:

(a) Arranging for visiting missions to remain long enough in each Trust Territory to be able adequately to fulfil their task;

(b) Reducing the number of Trust Territories to be visited by a single visiting mission;

(c) Ensuring the greatest possible flexibility in the itinerary of each visiting mission;

(d) Extending the duration of visits without diminishing their frequency;

(e) Continuing to include in the terms of reference of each visiting mission the examination of specific problems;

(f) Continuing to include in the terms of reference of each visiting mission the preliminary examination on the spot, when called for, of the petitions submitted to it, and of such other petitions as the Trusteeship Council may deem appropriate;

(g) Selecting members of each visiting mission as much as possible from among representatives who sit on the Trusteeship Council;

(h) Directing visiting missions to take advantage of every opportunity to inform the indigenous inhabitants of the workings and operations of the International Trusteeship System;

2. Requests the Trusteeship Council to include the results of the review in its next report to the General Assembly.

316th plenary meeting,
2 December 1950.