Office of the Historian

501.BB Palestine(E)/11–2349

Working Draft Resolution Prepared in the Department of State1

restricted
[Washington,] November 21, 1949.

Assistance to Palestine Refugees

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 212 (III) of November 19, 1948, and 194 (III) of December 11, 1948,

Having examined the First Interim Report of the Economic Survey Mission, A–1106,2 and the Report of the Secretary General on Assistance to Palestine Refugees, A–1060,3

1.
Expresses its appreciation to the contributing governments, to the United Nations specialized agencies, in particular UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO and IRO, to the ICRC, the League of Red Cross Societies, the American Friends Service and the numerous religious charitable and humanitarian organizations, all of which have made substantial contributions in their respective fields to the relief of the Palestine refugees;
2.
Recognizes that continued assistance for the relief of the Palestine refugees is necessary to prevent conditions of starvation and distress among them, and that constructive measures should be undertaken at an early date to reduce the refugee problem with a view to the termination of international assistance;
3.
Considers, on the basis of the estimate of the Economic Survey Mission, that $33,700,000 will be required for direct relief and works programs for the period January 1 to December 31, 1950, of which $20,200,000 is required for direct relief, and $13,500,000 for works programs; and that $21,200,000 will be required for works programs from January 1 to June 30, 1951, all inclusive of administrative expenses; and that direct relief should be terminated not later than December 31, 1950, unless otherwise determined by the General Assembly at its Fifth Session;4
4.
Establishes the “Near East Relief and Works Agency” (NERWA):
(a)
to carry out in collaboration with local governments the direct relief and works program recommended by the Economic Survey Mission:
(b)
to consult with Near Eastern governments concerning measures to be taken by them preparatory to the time when international assistance for relief and works projects is no longer available;
(c)
subject to approval of its Advisory Commission, to assume such other functions as the ESM may recommend in accordance with its terms of reference;
5.
Establishes an Advisory Commission consisting of representatives of France, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States to advise and assist the Director of NERWA in the execution of the program;
6.

[Alternative A]5

Appoints ____________ as Director of NERWA responsible to the General Assembly for the operation of the program and, in the event of his death or disability, authorizes the Advisory Commission to appoint his successor:

[Alternative B]5

Requests the Secretary General to appoint the Director of NERWA on the nomination of the Advisory Commission;

The Director shall be the chief executive officer of NERWA responsible to the General Assembly for the operation of the program. He shall select and appoint his staff and shall to the extent possible utilize the facilities and assistance of the Secretary General and apply the staff rules and regulations of the United Nations. The Director shall, in consultation with the Secretary General and the Advisory Committee on Budgetary and Administrative Questions establish financial regulations for NERWA;

7.
Requests the Director to convene the Advisory Commission at the earliest practicable date for the purpose of developing plans for the organization and administration of the program;
8.
Urges Near Eastern countries concerned to establish local development boards to cooperate with NERWA;
9.
Continues UNRPR as established under Resolution 212 (III) of the General Assembly until April 1, 1950, or until such date thereafter as the transfer referred to in paragraph 10 is effected, and instructs UNRPR to arrange for the gradual reduction in the number of rations from 940,000 to approximately 652,000 in accordance with the recommendation of ESM:
10.
Instructs the Secretary General to transfer to NERWA the assets and liabilities of UNRPR by April 1, 1950, or as soon thereafter as the Director of NERWA may determine;
11.
Urges all Members of the United Nations to make voluntary contributions in funds or in kind to insure that the amount of supplies and funds required is obtained for each period of the program as set out in paragraph 3 and states that to this end, voluntary contributions of non-Member states would also be accepted; contributions in funds may be made in currencies other than the United States dollar insofar as the program can be carried out in such currencies;
12.
Authorizes the Secretary General, in consultation with the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions to advance immediately a sum of up to $5,000,000 from the Working Capital Fund to finance operations pursuant to this resolution, such sum to be repaid not later than December 31, 1950, from the voluntary governmental contributions requested under paragraph 11 above;
13.
Authorizes the Secretary General, in consultation with the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, to negotiate with IRO for an interest-free loan in an amount not to exceed the equivalent of $2,800,000 to finance the program subject to mutually satisfactory conditions for repayment;
14.
Authorizes the Secretary General to continue the Special Fund established under Resolution 212 (III) of the General Assembly, and to make withdrawals therefrom for the operations of UNRPR, and upon the request of the Director, for the operations of NEEWA;
15.
Urges UNICEF, IRO, WHO, UNESCO and FAO and other appropriate agencies and private groups and organizations, in consultation with the Director of NERWA, to participate in the program;
16.
Directs NERWA to consult with the PCC in the best interests of their respective tasks;
17.
Requests the Director of NERWA to submit quarterly reports, and such other reports as he deems necessary, to the Secretary General for transmission to the Members: of the United Nations and to nonmember governments which have contributed to the work of NERWA.

  1. A memorandum of November 22 from Messrs. Sandifer and Hare to the Secretary of State notes that this draft resolution was “the result of intensive discussions in the Department during the past week and coincides with the views of Mr. Wright and his colleagues from the British Foreign Office with whom it has been discussed. The French and Turks appear to agree in principle.” (501.BB Palestine(E)/11–2349)↩
  2. Not printed; regarding the report, see editorial note, p. 1472.↩
  3. See GA, 4th sess., Ad Hoc Political Committee, Annex, vol. ii, p. 14.↩
  4. The memorandum by Messrs. Sandifer and Hare cited in footnote 1 above also stated that “400,000 refugees would be supported by the works program when it is in full swing. It is anticipated that this program would in fact lead to the permanent absorption of a substantial number of refugees in or near the areas where they are now situated although for reasons associated with Arab sensibilities, the Economic Survey Mission has not designated it as a resettlement program.

    “It is anticipated that the United States would need to contribute about 50% of the cost of the program. We indicated to Mr. Wright that it might be necessary for the United Kingdom to contribute about 25%, leaving the balance to be borne by France, the beneficiary governments, and other interested governments.”

    ↩
  5. Brackets appear in the source text.↩
  6. Brackets appear in the source text.↩