IO Files: US/A/3045
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Ward P. Allen, Adviser, United States Delegation to the General Assembly
Subject: General Assembly Action on Possible Merger of Commission for Conventional Armaments and Atomic Energy Commission
| Participants: | Mr. Peter Hope—United Kingdom Delegation |
| Mr. J. E. Coulson, United Kingdom Delegation | |
| Mr. Denis S. Laskey, United Kingdom Delegation | |
| Mr. John W. Holmes,1 Canadian Delegation | |
| Mr. K. C. O. Shann, Australian Delegation | |
| Mr. Frank Nash, United States Delegation | |
| Mr. Ward P. Allen, United States Delegation |
At a luncheon conversation with the above-mentioned representatives, it was generally agreed to proceed with the introduction of a resolution in the Plenary debate on atomic energy, along the lines of the Australian draft previously discussed, establishing a committee of the members of the SC (as of January 1951) plus Canada and Australia, to report to the next session on the coordination of the work of the AEC and CCA and the advisability of merging them. Although the UK representatives stated they would have to consult their Government on the text, Mr. Coulson expressed confidence that they would receive authorization to co-sponsor. This marks a shift from [Page 119] the initial British view that action on this matter by the present GA would be unwise.
Mr. Holmes (Canada) indicated some concern that by merely establishing a Commission to report to the Sixth GA, we would open ourselves to the charge of postponing for a whole year any possibility of progress or continuance of the work of the two Commissions. Although it was generally recognized that any real hope of progress in these bodies now was highly unrealistic, it was agreed that a provision should be inserted in the resolution that this study by the new Committee should be without prejudice to the continuance of the work of the AEC and the CCA under their present terms of reference.
Mr. Coulson thought it important to avoid any implication in the resolution that we were abandoning or scrapping any of the substantive plans for atomic energy control or to provide the USSR with any ground to claim that previous work should be scrapped. To meet this point more fully, it was agreed to include a preambulatory paragraph which would recall specifically the AEC plan as approved by the GA as well as the planning work of the CCA, and it would then express the desire of the GA that this work be carried forward.
The Canadian and UK representatives likewise agreed with the idea that, although Australia would act as the prime mover of the resolution, all AEC members (except the USSR and China) should be invited to co-sponsor.
- Alternate Canadian Representative to the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission; Adviser, Canadian Delegation to the General Assembly.↩