Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The Geneva Conference, Volume XVI

396.1 GE/7–1954: Telegram

The United States Delegation to the Department of State¹

secret

Geneva, July 19, 1954—7 p.m.

Secto 677. Repeated information Paris 108, Saigon 77. Following is UK translation of July 17 USSR “Working document concerning the joint and international commissions in Cambodia and Laos”. Russian text delivered USDel offices July 18.

Verbatim text:

Restricted. July 17, 1954. Translation (UK). USSR delegation.

Working document concerning the joint and the international commissions in Cambodia and Laos.

1. Responsibility for the execution of the agreement on the cessation of hostilities is placed on the parties.

2. An international commission shall be entrusted with control and supervision over the application of the provisions of the agreement on the cessation of hostilities in (Laos Cambodia). It shall be composed of representatives of the following states: _______

It shall be presided over by the representative of _______

Its location shall be ________

3. The international commission shall set up fixed and mobile inspection teams, composed of an equal number of officers appointed by each of the above-mentioned states. The fixed teams shall be located at the following points _________

These points of location may, at a later date, be altered by agreement between the government of (Laos Cambodia) and the international commission. Beyond the points shown above mobile teams may, by agreement with the command of the party concerned, carry out movements within the limits of the tasks given them by the present agreement. They shall receive from the local civil and military authorities all facilities they may require for the fulfilment of their tasks (provision of personnel, placing at their disposal documents needed for supervision, summoning witnesses necessary for the holding of enquiries, ensuring the security and freedom of movement of the inspection teams, etc.). They shall have at their disposal such modern means of transport, supervision and communication as they may require.

4. The international commission shall be responsible for supervising the proper execution by the parties of the provisions of the agreement. For this purpose it shall fufil the tasks of control, supervision, inspection and investigation connected with the application of the provisions of the agreement on the cessation of hostilities, namely it shall:

(a) Control the withdrawal of foreign armed forces in accordance with the provisions of the agreement on the cessation of hostilities.

(b) Control the operations of releasing prisoners of war and civilian internees.

(c) Supervise at the points mentioned in Article 3, the implementation of the provisions of the agreement on the cessation of hostilities, concerning the ban on the introduction into (Laos Cambodia) from abroad, of armed forces, military personnel and of all kinds of arms, munitions, and war material.

5. A joint committee and joint teams shall be set up in order to facilitate the implementation of the provisions concerning the withdrawal of foreign armed forces and foreign military personnel. The joint committee shall ensure the implementation of the following provisions of the agreement on the cessation of hostilities:

(a) A simultaneous and general cease-fire in (Laos Cambodia) for all regular and irregular armed forces of the two parties.

(b) A regroupment of the armed forces of the two parties. It shall help the parties to implement the said provisions, shall ensure liaison between them for the purpose of preparing and carrying out plans for the application of these provisions and shall endeavour to solve such disputed questions as may arise between the two parties in the course of implementing these provisions. They shall follow these troops and foreign personnel during their movement and shall be disbanded once the execution of the withdrawal plan has been completed.

6. The joint committee and joint teams shall be composed of an equal number of representatives of the commands of the interested parties.

7. The international commission shall, through the medium of the inspection teams mentioned above, and as soon as possible either on its own initiative, or at the request of the joint committee, or of one of the parties, undertake the necessary investigations, both documentary and on the ground.

8. The inspection teams shall submit to the international commission the results of their supervision, their investigation and their observations, furthermore they shall draw up such special reports as they may consider necessary or as may be requested from them by the commission. In the case of a disagreement within the teams, the conclusions of each member shall be submitted to the commission.

9. If any one inspection team is unable to settle an incident or considers that there is a violation or a threat of a serious violation the international commission shall be informed, the latter shall study the reports and the conclusions of the inspection teams and shall inform the parties of the measures which should be taken for the settlement of the incidents, ending of the violations or doing away with the threat of violation.

10. The recommendations of the international commission shall be adopted by majority vote, subject to the provisions contained in Article 11. If the votes are divided the Chairman’s vote shall be decisive. The international commission may formulate recommendations concerning amendments and additions which should be made to the provisions of the agreement on the cessation of hostilities in (Laos Cambodia) in order to ensure a more effective implementation of that agreement. These recommendations shall be adopted unanimously.

11. When dealing with questions concerning violations of the agreement, or threats of violations, which may lead to a resumption of hostilities, namely:

(a) Refusal by the foreign armed forces to effect the movements provided for in the withdrawal plan;

(b) Violation or threat of violation by foreign armed forces of the integrity of the country; the decisions of the international commission must be unanimous.

12. If one of the parties refuses to put into effect any recommendation of the international commission, the commission or one of the parties shall address themselves to the guarantors. If the international commission does not reach unanimity in the cases provided for in Article 11, it shall submit a majority report and one or more minority reports to the guarantors. The international commission shall address itself to the guarantors in all cases where its activity is being hindered.

13. The international commission for control and supervision shall be set up at the time of the cessation of hostilities in Indochina in order that it should be able to fulfil the tasks provided for in Article 4.

14. The international commission for control and supervision in (Laos Cambodia) shall act in close cooperation with the international control commissions in Vietnam (and Laos Cambodia). A body for coordinating the activities of the three commissions shall be set up by an agreement among them, in the form of an international coordinating commission for control and supervision in Indochina.

19. [15.] The international coordinating commission for control and supervision in Indochina shall adopt decisions concerning a progressive decrease in the activities of the international commissions for control and supervision in Laos and Cambodia, taking into account the evolution in Vietnam. These decisions shall be adopted unanimously.

Smith

1. Message transmitted in two sections.