UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES WORLD H E A L T H ORGANISATION MONDIALE ORGANIZATION DE LA SANTÉ THIRD WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY A3/53 `' 6 May 1950 ORIGINAL: FRENCH APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP BY THE KINGDOM OF LAOS (Provisional agenda, item 13) The Government of the Kingdom of Laos has applied fcr membership in the World Health Organization, This request was made within the time limit required by the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly: The letters exchanged and other relevant informations are reproduced below. TELEGRAM DATED 7 APRIL 1950 AND LETTER DATED 15 APRIL 1950 FROM THE MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF FRANCE TO THE DIRECTOR- GENERAL: "HAVE HONOUR TO INFORM 17.0 GOVERNMENT LAOS REQUESTS ADMISSION AS MEMBER WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION LETTERS GOVERNMENT LACS AND FRENCH GOVERNMENT CONFIRMING APPLICATION WILL BE SENT TO YOU LATER ON" "On 7 April, I informed you by telegram that the Government of Laos has requested the admissi:n of its country as a member of the World Health Organization "I have the honour, in the name of the President of the French Union, to confirm this application and to ask if you would kindly include thé request for admission formulated by Laos on the agenda cf the coming World Health Assembly." EXTRACT FROM THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC OF 13 OCTOBER 1946, PROMULGATED 27 OCTOBER 1946 SECTION VIII Article 60 The French Union shall consist, on the one hand, of the French Republic, comprising metropolitan France and the overseas Departments. and Territories, on the other hand of the Associated Territories and States. A3/53 page2 Article 61 The position of the Associated States within the French Union shall be established for each of them by the instrument defining their relationship to France. Article 62 The members of the French Union shall combine their entire resources to guarantee the defence of the Union as a whole. The Government of the Tepublic shall assume the co- ordination of these resources and the direction of the appropriate policy for preparing and ensuring the said defence. Article 63 The central organs of the French Union shall be the Presidency, the Higher Council and the Assembly. Article 64 The President of the French Republic shall be President of the French Union, whose permanent interests he shall represent, Article 65 The Higher Council of the French Union shall consist, under the presidency of the President of the Union, of a delegation from the French Government and the representatives whom each of the Associated States shall have the power to appoint for collaboration with the President of the Union. Its function shall be to assist the Government in the general direction of the .Union, Article 66 One half of the Assembly of the French Union shall consist of members representing metropolitan France and the other half of members representing the overseas Departments and Territories and the Associated States. An organic law shall determine uder what conditions the various sections of the population may be represented; Article 71 The Assembly of the French Union shall take cognizance of projects or pro- posals which are submitted to it foi consideration by the National Assemblyor the Government of the French Republic or the Governments of the Associated States. .... .. , .,...'..f 2 Act of 27 October 1946 A3/53 page 3 Extracts from the CONSTITUTION OF THE KINGDOM OF LAOS Preamble The peoples of Laos affirm their loyalty to the Monarch, and their attach- ment to democratic principles; they proclaim as King of Laos His Majesty Sisavang Vong. Laos declares itself.to be an autonomous State, a member of the French Union. It recognizes as the fundamental rights of the inhabitants of Laos: freedom of the individual, freedom of conscience, freedom to own property, freedom to speak, write and publish without restraint, freedom of teaching, freedom to meet and form associations, freedom of profession, equality before the law, the guarantee of the means of existence. It imposes the following duties upon them: national service, respect for conscience, the practice of solidarity, the fulfilment of family obligations, the execution of contracts freely entered into, application to work, probity, observance of the law. It requests the support of France for help on the path of civic, moral and material progress, as well as the assistance of French advisers and technicians during the period necessary to train its own professional bodies.. In this way, with both liberty and an organization calculated to develop its resources to the utmost, Laos will be able to play the part which is its due and allow its best citizens to prove their work in the French Union as a whole. Section 1 GENERAL PRINCIPLES Article 1. - The Kingdom of Laos shall consist of a single, indivisible, demo- cratic and social State, formed by the union of the former Kingdom of Luang- Probang and the Provinces which were previously under direct French administration, Its capital shall be Vientiane. Article 2. - Its national emblem shall be the flag with a red ground bearing in the centre the three -headed White Elephant, surmounted by the White Parasol. A3/53 page 4 Article 3, - The national sovereignty shall belong to the Laotian people. They shall exercise it through representatives elected by universal suffrage. Article 4. - All persons belonging to races definitely established on the territory of Laos and not already having any other nationality shall be con- sidered Laotian citizens. The conditions governing the acquirement and loss of nationality shall be laid down by an act. Arti cle 5. - All nationals who have reached their majority, are of the male sex and enjoy their civil and political rights shall be electors, under the con- ditions laid down by law. Article 6, - The official language shall be Lao. The French langúage shall be employed at the same time as official language and shall be. regarded as authentic in case of dispute, The French language shall be the official language for all instruments concerning the French Union. Article 7. - Buddhism shall be the State Religion. The King shall be the High Protector thereof. Section .'II THE KING Article 8. - The Wing shall be the Supreme Head, of the State-. His person shall be sacred and'inwioiable. He'should be a devout Buddhist. Article 13. - The King shall sanction and promulgate by Royal Decree the laws approved by the Assembly under the conditions laid down in, Article 30. He', shall 'edict by Royal Decree the statutory provisions proposed by,the Council of Ministers and countersigned by the responsiblé'Ministers. When it is impossible for. the deputies to be brought together, because of exceptional cïrcuMstances, the King, after the approval of the Permanent Commission of the National Assembly, shall be empowered to take legislative measures by Royal Decree, subject to subsequent ratification by the Assembly. The King shall sigh-treaties entered into with France and the other associated States of the, French Union and ratify them in pursuance of the dis cussions of the National Assembly. Article 14. The King shall be the Supreme Head of the Armed Forces. A3/53 page 5 section III THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS Article 19.- The King shall designate the President of the Council. The latter shall form the Government and submit it to the Assembly for approval, The President of the Council and the Ministers may be appointed only after a vote of confidence of the Assembly carried by a majority of two- thirds of the members present. In the event of a vacancy through death or any cause, the King shall designate a new President of the Council, chosen from the Ministers in . office, who shall present himself for the approval of the Assembly as soon as possible. Section IV THE ASSEMBLY Article 24. - The National Assembly shall consist of deputies elected every four years by universal suffrage under conditions laid down by the electoral law. The deputies shall be the representatives of the nation as a whole and not merely of those who have elected them. They may not be bound by any overriding mandate. Article 28. - The National Assembly shall: - vote the budget and national loans as well as approving the administrative expenses; - vote the laws concerning personal status and the revision of the Laotian cedes; - vote the organic laws of the Kingdom; - vote laws granting amnesty; - consider whether approval is to be given for the ratification of treaties... Furthermore, it shall study all projects submitted to it by the Council of Ministers. Article 29.-- The deputies shall have the power to initiate laws touching on all matters enumerated in the preceding article. A3/53 page 6 Section V THE ROYAL COUNCIL Article 37. - The Royal Council shall consist of nine members. made up as followsi (a) six members designated by the King; (b) three members designated by the Assembly. It shall be completely renewed every four years. Article 38. - The Royal Council shall give its opinion on all projects and. ' proposals submitted to it. In exceptional circumstances it may be constituted as a High Court of Justice. It shall judge whether the laws are constitutional. Section VI THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDICIh L ORGANIZATION Article 39. - The provinces shall consist of territorial communities. The extent and organization of these shall be laid down by an act. Certain important urban centres may enjoy a special organization. Article 42. - The organization, the powers and competence of the courts, both judicial and administrative, as well as overlapping of jurisdiction, shall be defined by an act. Furthermore, this act shall guarantee the independence of the judicial power with respect to the legislative and executive powers. Constitution promulgated at Ltarig-Prabang 11 May 1947. EXTRACTS FROM THE INSTRUMENTS DEFINING THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE STATE OF LAOS WITH FRANCE B) General agreement of 19 July 1949 .between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Laos, A3/53 page 7 Section 1 Independence - French Union The French Republic recognizes the Kingdom of Laos as an independent.