An inter-governmental conference to fix the legal status of German refugees was called today for July 7 by Joseph C. Avenol, Secretary General of the League of Nations. He sent out invitations to governments, including the United States and Brazil, which are not League members, asking them to signify acceptance by May 15.
The letter of invitation pointed out that governments were invited to suggest questions for addition to the conference agenda. The invitations were accompanied by copies of an agenda listing three main points, drawn up by Sir Neill Malcolm, recently-appointed League High Commissioner for German Refugees.
In view of the urgency of the present situation, Sir Neill proposed the following:
1) The framing of provisional, inter-governmental arrangements to become effective without delay.
2) Consideration of a convention determining the status of the refugees.
3) Examination of the problem of delivering civil status papers to refugees.
The object of the first point is to give the refugees a form of legal status as soon as possible. It embraces the defining of the categories of refugees and national administrative measures, including identity and travel certificates, expulsion, refusal of admission to a country, and measures covering legal standing such as laws governing the personal status of refugees, the validity of papers given them by religious authorities and their rights under national laws.
The second point covers the drafting of a convention to determine the legal status of refugees.
The third point includes an examination of methods of obtaining facilities for delivery of civil and other papers from the authorities in the country of origin of the refugees.
Permanent measures for aiding refugees are expected to come up before next September’s meeting of the League Assembly.
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