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94th Congress, 2d Session

77-838 O

House Document No. 94-652

UNITED STATES PARTICIPATION IN THE UNITED NATIONS
1975 ANNUAL REPORT

MESSAGE

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

THE 30TH ANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES PARTICIPATION IN
THE UNITED NATIONS, COVERING CALENDAR YEAR 1975, PURSUANT
TO SECTION 4 OF THE UNITED NATIONS PARTICIPATION ACT OF 1945

OCTOBER 1, 1976.-Message and accompanying papers referred to the Committee on

International Relations and ordered to be printed

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1976

To the Congress of the United States:

I am pleased to send to the Congress the 30th annual report on United States participation in the United Nations and its many subsidiary bodies.

This report shows how the United States worked to advance its interests through the main activities of the United Nations system during Calendar Year 1975. It describes the outcome of important meetings such as the seventh special session of the General Assembly on world economic cooperation and the landmark International Women's Year conference; it covers the work of the Security Council in the Middle East and other areas; and it reports on such contentious political issues as the resolution of the 30th General Assembly equating Zionism with Racism with which we vigorously disagreed. These events, and many other UN activities, reflect an active year for the United States in the United Nations during which we persisted in our long-term effort to promote peace, economic progress and social justice within a worldwide framework.

In the area of security and crisis management, the United Nations was effective in carrying out its primary purpose: contributing to the maintenance of international peace. United Nations peacekeeping forces in both the Sinai and the Golan Heights areas of the Middle East continued to separate previous combatants while the search for a more durable peace continued. Similarly, in Cyprus, United Nations peacekeeping forces helped to patrol the lines where confrontation existed and contributed to humanitarian needs. The Security Council, in addition to making the arrangements for the continuation of the mandates for these forces, also helped reduce tensions over the Western Sahara and East Timor.

A major area of activity of direct importance for American interests was the seventh special session of the General Assembly on development and international economic cooperation. Convened September 1 just prior to the 30th regular session, this meeting established a new agenda for international cooperation on the planning of our emerging global economic system. Prior to this meeting there had been division, confrontation and acrimony within the United Nations and elsewhere, over how to improve the world economic system and how to accelerate the process of development. Determined to make the most of this opportunity and to search for common ground, the United States outlined a broad program of practical initiatives which would be of benefit to both developing and developed countries. The participants in this historic meeting responded positively to the U.S. approach, adopting a consensus resolution which embraced most of our proposals. This session demonstrated that the UN can help to advance America's fundamental interests when we exercise leadership in the organization.

An international conference of great importance to the United States was the World Conference of the International Women's Year in Mexico City. This meeting, which grew out of a 1974 U.S. initiative, marked the first time that the problems of women had been the subject of such a major international conference. With some exceptions the conference recorded a number of major achievements. The United States made significant contributions to the World Plan of Action which was adopted at the conference, thus setting in motion a program that will gradually help the world to realize the full rights and potential of half of its people.

At my direction in November 1975, Secretary of State Kissinger sent a letter to the Director General of the International Labor Organization announcing our intention to withdraw from that organization in 1977 unless reforms are made before then. We cited four special areas of concern: erosion of tripartite representation; selective concern for human rights; disregard of due process; and increasing politicization of a technical agency. We took this step only after the most careful deliberation and, as we have stated, we will make

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