COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE GOVERNMENTS OF BULGARIA, RUMANIA, ALBANIA AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA (Provisional Agenda Item A. F. & L. 19.1)

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1 UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION THIRD TORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE A3/33 ^ 29 April 1950 ORIGINAL! FRENCH COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE GOVERNMENTS OF BULGARIA, RUMANIA, ALBANIA AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA (Provisional Agenda Item A. F. & L. 19.1) In accordance with the resolution of the Executive Board at its fifth session,' 1 ' the Director-General has the honour to transmit to the Third World 2 Health Assembly the annexed communication from the Government of Bulgaria. "3 л Similar communications from the Governments of Rumania, Albania Czechoslovakia^ are also annexed. and 1 Off. Rec. World Hlth Org. 25, item 1.1 ^ Annex A 3 Annex В 4. Annex С ^ Annex D

2 ANNEX A Communication of 29 November 1949 received from the Minister for Foreign Affaira of the People's Republic of Bulgaria il No VII Sofia, 29. XI The Second World Health Assembly, held last June in Rome, offered the opportunity for a general and comprehensive study of the activity of the World Health Organization from its creation in 1946 to the present. Several Members, including Bulgaria, addressed to the Assembly justified criticisms concerning the methods adopted by the Organization in the pursuit of its aims and concerning the results obtained. It would not, however, appear that the suggestions made by these Members have been taken into consideration or have had an effect on the general trends of the Organization. The Bulgarian authorities concerned have therefore been led to examine seriously whether the continuing participation of Bulgaria in the World Health Organization would be justified and opportune under these conditions. Unfortunately they can only reiterate that the activities of the Organization and the practical results obtained are completely insufficient, above all in the domain of mutual assistance in the international health field, whilst the methods and policies adopted are adjudged inadequate in relation to the tasks entrusted to the Organization at its inception. Bearing in mind the foregoing considerations, the Government of the People's Republic of Bulgaria has decided to withdraw from the World Health Organization and has instructed me to inform you that it no longer considers itself as a Member of the Organization. Minister for Foreign Affairs (signed) V. Poptomov Reply from the Director-General transmitted on 12 December 1949 I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 29 November 1949 (Réf VII) by which you inform me of the decision of the Government of the People's Republic of Bulgaria to withdraw from the World Health Organization and to consider itself no longer a member of this Organization. The message which you have sent me will be examined by the Executive Board of the World Health Organization at its forthcoming session to be held in Geneva commencing 16 January The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria SOFIA (signed) Dr. R. Gautier Acting Director-General

3 ANNEX В Communication of 20 February 1950 received from the Minister of Health of the People's Republic of Rumanial "THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF THE RUMANIAN PEOPLE'S EPUBLIC, HAVING EXAMINED THE ACTIVITY OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION TO BATE, OBSERVES THAT THIS ACTIVITY DOES NOT COitRESPOMD TO THE ACTUAL NEEDS OF THE MITIONS IN THE HEALTH FIbLD. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HAS NOT TAKEN CONCRETE MEASURES TO OAШ ON SUCCESS- FULLY THE FIGHT FOR PREVENTING AND COMBATING DISEASE ON THE INTE NATIONAL PLINE AND HAS NOT CONTRIBUTED IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER TO THE DISSEMINATION OF ADVANCES IN MEDICAL SCIENCE, BUT HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A BUREAUCRATIC INSTITUTION INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE TASKS ASSIGNED TO IT BY ITS CONSTITUTION. DESPITE THE CRITICISMS WHICH VARIOUS COUNTRIES HAVE EXPRESSED, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION MS PERSISTED IN THIS FALSE ORIENTATION AND EAS FURTHER ENLAuGED ITS ADMINISTRATIVE APPARATUS, FIXING FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS FOR THE STATES MEMBERS QUITS DISPROPORTIONATE TO THE PRACTICAL RESULTS OBTAINED BY THE ORGANIZATION. THE UNSATISFACTORY ACTIVITY OF WHO HAS OCCASIONED THE WITHDRAWAL OF SOME OF ITS MEMBERS, AMONG THEM BEING THE US3R A COUNTRY WHICH HAS AT ITS DISPOSAL VAST EXPERIENCE AND THE MOST ADVANCED METHODS IN THE FIELD OF RAISING THE HEALTH STANDARDS OF THE MASSES. IH VIEW OF THIS SITUATION THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUMANIAN PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC HAS DECIDED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION AND HEREBY DECLARES THAT IT NO LONGER CONSIDERS ITSELF A MEMBER OF THIS ORGANIZATION; I HAVE THE HONOUR. TO BE, SHI, YOURS ETC." MINISTER OF HEALTH PROF. Ш. V. MARZA. This telegram.was confirmed by letter of the same date, received by the Director- General on 12 April 1950 repeating the terms of the telegram. Heply from the Director-General transmitted on 22 February 1950"*" PROFESSOR DOCTOR V MARZA MINISTER OF HEALTH OF THE RUMANIAN PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC BUCAREST HAVE HONOUR TO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF YOUR TELEGRAM 20 FEBRUARY 1950 INFORMING ME DECISION GOVERNMENT RUMANIAN PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC TO WITHDRAW FROM WHO I HAVE THE HONOUR TO BE SIR YOURS ETC DR BROCK CHISHOLM UNISANTE GENEVE

4 ANNEX С Communication of 25 February 1950 received from the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Albanian GovernmentГ 1 PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS Tirana, 25 February 1950 I 'have the honour to inform you that trie Albanian Government, having considered as unsatisfactory the activity carried out until now by the World Health Organization, has studied the question of future participation of Albania in this Organization. The World Health Organization has not conformed entirely to the principies defined in itsfr:' л-bjand has neglected its tasks, as well as the sensible suggestions which have continually been made, particularly at the Second УorId Health Assembly, The World Health Or^-aciaation in its attitude, has discriminated against Albania. The commitments made by the "florid Health Organization from time to time in answer to the contine. is and modest requests addressed to it by the Albanian Government for'assistance in the various iields of medicine, - such as in antimalaria and anti-venereal disease campaigns, etc., -and to receive other assistance in the form of demonstration equipment, have not been respected by the Organization, which on the contrary, has postponed them without any reason, and has constantly subjected them unjustly to conditions of such a nature that the Albanian Government has found these conditions unacceptable and entirely lacking in foundation, and contrary to the Statutes of the Organization. On the basis of the absolutely unsatisfactory practical results, the defective methods and administration of the World Health Organization, as well as of the discriminative attitude that this Organization has adopted particularly against Albania, the Albanian Government has decided to consider itself no longer a- Member of this Organization. I have the honour to bo, etc- Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (signed) MIHAL PRIFTI Reply from the Acting Director-General transmitted on 7 March Geneva, 7 March 1950 I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 25 February 1950 (your ref. N.01-66/7.), in which you inform me that the Government of the Albanian People's Republic no longer considers itself a Member of this Organization. (signed) Dr. Martha M. Eliot Acting Director-General Monsieur la Ministre des Affaires étrangères de la République populaire d'albanie, c/o Légation de la République populaire d'albanie à Budapest, Hungary

5 АЗ/ЗЗ Page 5 ANNEX D Communication of 14 April 1950 receivedfrom the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Government of Czechoslovakia;^" Prague, 14 April 1950 I have the honour to bring the following to your notice: In the opinion of the Government of Czechoslovakia, the World Health Organization does not fulfil the aims and principles of its Constitution and, consequently, the conditions under -which Czechoslovakia signed and ratified the convention creating this Specialized Agency cf the United Nations. The fundamental provisions of the Constitution of the World Health Organization have remained nothing but abstract watchwords. Moreover, the Organization is subject to political influences, leading even to discrimination against certain States Members, including Czechoslovakia. Developments within the World Health Organization are thus in contradiction to the principles of the Constitution, which were the preliminary condition for Czechoslovak participation and, in view of these facts, the Czechoslovak Republic no longer considers itself a member of the Organization. (Signed) V. Siroky Minister Reply from the Director-General transmitted on 25 April ^ I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 14 April 1950, forwarded by the Legation of the Czechoslovak Republic in Berne, in -which you inform me of the decision of your Government no longer to consider itself a Member of the World Health Organization. This communication td.11 be considered by the Third World Health Assembly during its coming session, which will take place in Geneva, starting on 8 May (Signed) Dr. Brock Chisholm Director-General К.E. Monsieur Viliam Siroky Vice-President du Conseilet Ministre des affaires Etrangères de la République Tchécoslovaque, Prague.

105.. EXTENSION OP THE USE OF THE RUSSIAN AND SPANISH LANGUAGES

105.. EXTENSION OP THE USE OF THE RUSSIAN AND SPANISH LANGUAGES i N D f e -Л с.- WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION TWENTIETH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Provisional agenda item 3.6 105.. '^RGANÎSATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ 2 4 AVR. 'î г a2o/afl/io \/ / 19 April 1967 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH