Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, United Nations Affairs, Volume III

IO files, SD/A/328

Position Paper Prepared in the Department of State for the United States Delegation to the Ninth Regular Session of the General Assembly

confidential

Washington, September 9, 1954.

Appointment of the Credentials Committee

the problem

In accordance with Rule 28 of the Rules of Procedure, a Credentials Committee of nine Members will be appointed by the General Assembly, on the proposal of the Temporary President (Chairman of the delegation of India), at the opening plenary meeting.

united states position

The United States should accept any slate proposed by the Temporary President provided that (a) no more than three countries which recognize the Chinese Communist regime are included^*; and (b) the geographic distribution of countries accords with the pattern followed at previous sessions.

Unless such a slate is proposed, the United States should initiate or support appropriate action to ensure the appointment of an acceptable slate which conforms to the above criteria.

comment

The slate nominated by the Temporary President at each of the ten previous Assembly sessions (including the two special sessions) has been accepted by the Assembly without discussion and without objection. These slates were geographically representative. An examination of the previous slates shows that the normal geographic pattern was as follows: Latin America—2; Commonwealth—1; Soviet bloc—1; Western Europe—1 or 2; Middle East–Asia–Africa—2 or 3. Included in the group was at least one of the Great Powers. On five occasions the United States was included, with a consequent decrease of 1 in the representation of Western Europe or the Middle East-African-Asian area. Since 1950, when the Chinese representation issue was formally raised in the United Nations for the first time, an additional criterion applied in the formulation of the Credentials Committee slate—only 3 states which recognize the Chinese Communist regime were included on the ground that the Committee should reflect Assembly sentiment as a whole on the Chinese recognition question and only 17 countries (including Byelorussia and the Ukraine) or less than ⅓rd of the 60 United Nations Members recognize the Chinese Communist regime.

Even if the plenary Assembly acts on the Chinese representation issue prior to the convening of the Credentials Committee, the matter will undoubtedly nevertheless be raised again in the Credentials Committee. It is therefore essential that the Delegation make every effort to ensure that the Committee is composed of a majority of states which are certain to support our view on the Chinese representation issue.

It is difficult to see how the Temporary President (Chairman of Indian delegation) this year could advance any plausible justification for nominating a slate which departs from the two criteria noted above. If the criteria are applied it seems unlikely that the slate could fail to include a majority favorable to our position on the Chinese representation issue, assuming that (1) this issue is disposed of on the basis of procedural action and a substantive vote is avoided; and (2) there is no unexpected change in the attitude of a significant number of countries. If the criteria are not applied and an unacceptable slate is proposed, the United States should initiate or support appropriate action to ensure the appointment of an acceptable slate. Since the President’s action will have been clearly partisan, we should be able to obtain adequate support in the Assembly for our position.

A possible procedure would be to propose amendments providing for the substitution of a state or states in place of states nominated in the President’s slate. Such a procedure seems undesirable. The process of openly substituting one state for another would undoubtedly stir up resentment and might alienate the votes of countries which would otherwise support us on our general objective. The best procedure would be to propose a substitute slate which conforms to the two criteria noted above, i.e., includes no more than 3 countries which recognize the Chinese Communist regime and is geographically representative. Such a slate might include, for example, the following countries: Brazil, Honduras, UK, USSR, Denmark, Philippines, Iraq, Australia and the United States. Under this procedure, it would be necessary to move under rule 93 that the alternative slate be put to the vote first since the President’s slate would otherwise automatically have priority—under the rules proposals are put to the vote in the order in which they are submitted unless the Assembly decides otherwise. It should be noted that it will, of course, be necessary to ascertain in advance that the countries included in the alternative slate are willing to serve. Consideration should also be given to the desirability of having another delegation take the initiative in proposing the substitute slate.

1. The following UN Members recognize the Chinese Communist regime: UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Israel, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Burma, Netherlands, USSR, Byelorussia, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Pakistan and India. [Footnote in the source text.]