Editorial Note
On December 5, 1953, the Ad Hoc Political Committee, in considering the item, race conflict in the Union of South Africa, rejected a South African draft resolution on competence, adopted an amendment by Chile to the 17-power draft resolution, which added references to previous General Assembly resolutions, and then adopted the 17-power draft as amended. At its 469th plenary meeting on December 8, 1953, the General Assembly rejected a resolution proposed by the Union of South Africa on competence and accepted an amendment by Chile and Uruguay to the 17-power draft resolution which added a paragraph pertaining to the administration of the Commission. The General Assembly then adopted the 17-power draft resolution, as amended, by a vote of 38 in favor, 11 opposed, with 11 abstentions. The United States abstained on this resolution as a whole in both the Ad Hoc Political Committee and the General Assembly; but, on the paragraph by paragraph vote, the United States switched its vote from “opposed” in the former body to “abstain” in the latter on the provision concerning continuation of the Commission. The text of resolution 721 (VIII) is in Official Records of the General Assembly, Eighth Session, Supplement No. 17, UN document A/2630.