UN General Assembly
1946

At the commencement of the work of the Atomic Energy Commission, the Australian Foreign Minister, Mr. Evatt, who had the honour of being the first Chairman of the Commission, stated that the Australian Government favoured a general international convention which would vest in an international authority powers to ensure a system of effective control and inspection of atomic energy and which would also provide that, when controls and safeguards had been effectively organized, the manufacture of atomic weapons and the stock-piling of material for military purposes should cease, and that existing stocks of bombs should be dismantled. He also expressed the view that exchange of information for the peaceful use of atomic energy and all developments for converting atomic energy to peaceful purposes should be accelerated as part of the general plan.