IO Files: US/A/169
United States Delegation Position Paper
U. S. Slate for Trusteeship Council
1. The Problem
On October 22 the Delegation deferred action on the Trusteeship Council slate recommended by the Department of State pending developments in Committee 4. That slate consisted of Egypt, Denmark, and the Philippine Republic in the order named.
As the prospect now appears good for action on a sufficient number of trusteeship agreements72 to make it possible to establish the Council at this session of the Assembly, it is necessary to establish a slate which the Delegation will support in the election. The number of members to be elected will be either two or four depending upon the number of agreements approved.
2. Recommendations
(1) The following slate is proposed for consideration as a result of consultation among the Advisers principally concerned with this matter. The question is concurrently under consideration in the Department of State.
- First seat—Iraq
- Second seat—Netherlands, or Brazil, or Denmark
- Third seat—Philippine Republic, or Brazil, or Denmark
- Fourth seat—Brazil, or India, or a Soviet satellite
(2) If a full slate is not elected on the first two ballots the Delegation should be given authority to cast its vote in such a manner as to produce the closest possible approximation to our desired slate.
[3.] Discussion
- (1)
- The substitution of Iraq for Egypt is based upon the decision of the Arab states to support Iraq as their candidate. The votes controlled by the Arab League may be important in securing the two-thirds majority in the Assembly necessary to approval of the trusteeship agreements.
- (2)
- a. Support for the Netherlands has been suggested in the event that it is not elected to the Economic and Social Council and if it desires to be a candidate.
- b. Brazil is an active contender for a seat on the ground of the contribution it could make to the Council as a Latin American state with experience in the administration of undeveloped tropical [Page 243] territory. It is believed that it could secure a number of votes in the Assembly for approval of the trusteeship agreements. Brazil will remain on the Security Council for another year.
- c. Denmark is suggested because of the desirability of including a progressive country interested in equal treatment in social, economic, and commercial matters. The Danes have not been approached on this subject and have given us no indication that they would be interested in the post.
- (3)
- The Philippine Republic, a newly independent state, has shown a consistent interest in trusteeship problems and desires a seat on the Council.
- (4)
- In view of the heavy representation which the Western democracies will have on the Council, it might be desirable from the point of view of adequate balance to support India or a Soviet satellite. This might be particularly true if no Soviet satellite is elected to the Economic and Social Council this year.