Document II-14

Statement Made by the U.S. Representative (Goldberg) in the Special Political Committee of the U.N. General Assembly, December 14, 1965 (Excerpt) T

United States Proposal for the Creation of a United Nations

Peace Service

We propose nothing less than the creation of a United Nations Peace Service-a flexible set of procedures so efficient and so comprehensive that it will provide an adequate substitute for armed conflict. In the opinion of my Delegation, a UN Peace Service should include improvements in present procedures to meet three main needs:

In the first place, it should assure the greater availability of qualified persons for tasks of peaceful settlement. In all of our countries there are distinguished men whose personal qualities and practical experience enable them to discharge special responsibilities in the resolution of conflict. Let us find ways of making these men available to the UNand to other international agencies.

In the second place, it should provide additional incentives for governments to resort to peaceful settlement. Nations will use available resources for peaceful settlement only as they are convinced of the benefits of cooperation-and of the costs of non-cooperation.

In the third place, it should incorporate new approaches to dispute-settlement whose utility has been demonstrated in recent experience.

It is now fifteen years since the United Nations last engaged in a systematic study of this question. In that time the membership of the organization has more than doubled and the UN has accumulated all kinds of new experience in the peaceful settlement of disputes. Surely we have learned something during

"U.S.-U.N. press release No. 4748.

My Government has a number of specific ideas which we will make available to the proposed committee in due course. We are considering, for example, whether the existing United Nations panel for enquiry and conciliation could be reconstructed on a new basis to make it a more efficient instrument for the performance of its tasks. We are also considering whether greater use could not be made of rapporteurs or conciliators on contentious matters before the Security Council and the General Assembly-with a view to bringing the parties together, finding the facts, and recommending possible solutions.

76 Reference is to a draft resolution of Dec. 13, 1965 (U.N. doc. A/SPC/L.123 and Add.1-3), sponsored by the representatives of 17 member states (including the U.S.), providing, inter alia, for the establishment of a committee to study the question of peaceful settlement and report to the 21st session of the U.N. General Assembly. This draft resolution was not brought to a vote due to the Special Committee's decision to recommend deferment of further consideration of peaceful settlement to the 21st session of the U.N. General Assembly (see footnote 78, below).

77 Text in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1963, pp. 23–29.

That is why we are proud to join with the United Kingdom in sponsoring this resolution. That is also why we pledge our cooperation to the proposed committee in the effort to find practical measures to improve the work of the United Nations in the peaceful settlement of disputes.78

Document II-15

Resolution 2101 (XX), Adopted by the U.N. General Assembly, December 20, 1965 79

Amendment to Article 109 of the Charter

of the United Nations

Document II-16

Resolution 2116 (XX), Adopted by the U.N. General Assembly, December 21, 1965 80

Pattern of Conferences

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 1202 (XII) of 13 December 1957,81 1851

78 At its 1403d plenary meeting, on Dec. 18, 1965, the U.N. General Assembly approved the recommendation of the Special Political Committee (U.N. doc. A/6187, par. 11) that consideration of the item, "Peaceful Settlement of Disputes," be deferred to the twenty-first session of the U.N. General Assembly. The Special Political Committee had previously adopted its recommendation on the item by a vote of 48 to 27 (including the U.S.), with 8 abstentions, taken Dec. 16, 1965.

79 U.N. doc. A/6014, pp. 90-91. This resolution, adopted unanimously, requested member states to ratify an amendment to art. 109 which would provide that a general conference to review the U.N. Charter could be convened by two-thirds vote of the members of the U.N. General Assembly and by a vote of 9 (instead of 7) members of the Security Council. Text of the U.N. Charter is printed in American Foreign Policy, 1950-1955: Basic Documents, vol. I, pp. 134-161.

80 U.N. doc. A/6014, p. 76. The U.N. General Assembly adopted this resolution, proposed by the U.N. Secretary-General (Thant), without discussion or objection. The United States favored the advance programing of conferences in order to limit conference costs. (See American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1964, pp. 91-92.)

81 Text in U.N. General Assembly Official Records, Twelfth Session, Supplement No. 18 (A/3805), p. 39.

(XVII) of 19 December 1962 and 1987 (XVIII) of 17 December 1963,83

1. Decides that a fixed pattern of conferences to govern the places and dates of the meetings of United Nations bodies shall come into force on 1 January 1966 for a further period of three years;

2. Decides further that, as a general principle, meetings of United Nations bodies shall be held at the established headquarters of the bodies concerned, with the following exceptions:

(a) The sessions of the International Law Commission shall be held at Geneva;

(b) The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, as well as the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee and the Legal Sub-Committee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, may meet at Geneva if the exigencies of their work so require;

(c) The regular summer session of the Economic and Social Council may be held at Geneva provided that the closing date falls at least six weeks before the opening of the regular session of the General Assembly;

(d) One Headquarters-based functional commission of the Economic and Social Council, to be determined by the Council, may meet at Geneva during the period from January to April;

(e) Sessions of not more than three other Headquarters-based functional commissions or committees of the Economic and Social Council may, by decision of the Council taken after consultation with the Secretary-General, be held at Geneva during the period from September to December without overlap;

(f) In addition, a session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs may, in exceptional circumstances and by decision of the Economic and Social Council taken after consultation with the Secretary-General, be held at Headquarters, New York; in that event, one other functional commis

82 Text ibid., Seventeenth Session, Supplement No. 17 (A/5217), p. 53.

83 Text in U.N. doc. A/5515, pp. 66-67.

THE UNITED NATIONS BUDGET FOR THE YEAR 1965

Document II-17

Resolution 2004 (XIX), Adopted by the U.N. General Assembly, February 18, 1965 1

Interim

Financial Arrangements and Authorizations

for 1965

The General Assembly,

Having noted the statement of the Secretary-General at the 1327th plenary meeting of the General Assembly, on 8 February 1965,2

Noting the basic positions and objections of certain Member States with respect to certain sections of

1 U.N. General Assembly Official Records, Nineteenth Session, Supplement No. 15 (A/5815), p. 7. This resolution was adopted under the no-voting arrangements (see footnotes 46-47 to doc. II-24, post). The Albanian Representative in the U.N. General Assembly, Halim Budo, objected and requested a vote, but the President of the General Assembly (QuaisonSackey) stated that the General Assembly had just voted to continue its no-vote procedure (see footnote 47, ibid.) and he ruled the Albanian request as out of order. (See UN Monthly Chronicle, vol. II, No. 3, Mar. 1965, p. 18.)

2 The U.N. Secretary-General (Thant) requested that the General Assembly adopt the interim financial arrangements embodied in this resolution and that the payment of U.N. staff pensions be on a "full gross" basis, effective Mar. 1, 1965 (U.N. doc. A/PV.1327, pars. 11-17). (See U.N. General Assembly Res. 2007 I and II (XIX), Feb. 10 and 18, 1965; text in U.N. doc. A/5815, p. 8.)