Subject: Discussion of the Question of Disarmament by the
Security Council
[Annex 1]
The British Embassy to the
Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
Since the Security Council’s agreement on the 20th January to the request
of the United States Delegation for postponement of consideration of the
question of disarmament, His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom
have been considering future procedure on this matter.
They consider that in all the circumstances the United States
Delegation’s request for delay was reasonable and that the Security
Council was right to comply with it. On the other hand they have some
difficulty in understanding the United States Delegation’s firm
insistence upon priority for the discussion of the control of atomic
energy. They understand it to be the general sense of members of the
Security Council that it would not be desirable to attempt to pigeonhole
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the Soviet resolution on
disarmament and that it should be possible to résumé work on atomic
energy and to begin work on general disarmament simultaneously.
His Majesty’s Government feel considerable sympathy with this view.
Provided it is clearly understood that what is now under discussion is
the preparation of plans and that the implementation of these plans will
not take place until agreement has been reached over the whole field of
disarmament, atomic and general, they consider that it should be
possible for the Security Council to agree to deal with the problems
before them on the following general lines.
The Security Council might:
- (a)
- Formally set up the Disarmament Commission as a parallel body
to the Atomic Energy Commission.
- (b)
- Instruct the Military Staff Committee to expedite its work on
the “agreements under Article 43.
- (c)
- Receive the report of the Atomic Energy Commission, approve it
in principle (leaving the veto issue open at this stage) and
then set the Atomic Energy Commission working in parallel with
the Disarmament Commission.
- (d)
- Consider the veto issue as a whole at a later stage when the
drafts to be produced by the Atomic Energy Commission and the
Disarmament Commission come (as His Majesty’s Government
understand the situation) before the Security Council for final
approval in accordance with the General Assembly’s resolution of
the 14th December, before submission to a special session of the
General Assembly.
His Majesty’s Government consider that it should be possible in practice
for (a), (b) and (c) to be dealt with by the Security Council
almost simultaneously, particularly if the Council do not go over the
Atomic Energy Commission’s report in detail but merely instruct the
Atomic Energy Commission to work out a detailed plan on the basis
thereof. Such a procedure should eliminate the necessity for argument
about priorities.
His Majesty’s Government have not modified in any way their views on the
international control of atomic energy or on the importance to be
attached to devising means of ensuring that there must be no evasion of
the system of control of atomic and other armaments through the right of
veto. They do not, however, consider that their views on these points,
which they believe, correspond closely with those of the United States
Government, would in any way be prejudiced if the Security Council
planned its programme on the lines indicated above. His Majesty’s
Government would be grateful to learn the views of the United States
Government on this whole question and in particular to know whether they
feel able to agree with the foregoing procedure. If they do, His
Majesty’s Government would propose to urge it also on the Soviet
Government.
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Meanwhile His Majesty’s Government have decided to establish forthwith an
official Committee on Disarmament under the chairmanship of Mr. Gladwyn
Jebb of the Foreign Office and containing also senior representatives of
the Dominions Office, the three Service Departments and the Ministry of
Supply, with the following terms of reference:
- (I)
- To make an early examination of the resolution on the
principles. governing the general regulation and reduction of
armaments adopted by the General Assembly.
- (II)
- On the basis of this resolution, to prepare and submit to the
Defence Committee of the Cabinet draft proposals to be submitted
to the Disarmament Commission of the Security Council by the
United Kingdom representative.
- (III)
- To keep under constant review the proceedings of the
Disarmament Commission and of the Security Council when the
latter body is itself considering disarmament.
- (IV)
- In conjunction with the Official Committee on atomic energy,
to coordinate policy regarding the regulation and reduction of
armaments with policy regarding the control and prohibition of
weapons of mass destruction.
No information is being published about the establishment of this
Committee and it is requested that the foregoing particulars may be
treated as strictly confidential. His Majesty’s Ambassador at Moscow has
been instructed to inform the Soviet Government in strict confidence and
in general terms of the establishment of the Committee.
Washington, January 27,
1947.