Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, The United Nations; The Western Hemisphere, Volume II

645K.51T/7–1851: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin)

confidential

Washington, July 18, 1951—4 p.m.

38. Verbatim text. You authorized re Ewe question use following draft res as basis negotiation other TC members with view seeking support both administering and non-administering members and co-sponsorship with Argentine, Thailand or Dominican Republic as either new resolution or amendment of a Brit-Fr Res:¹

The Trusteeship Council

1. Recalling its Resolution 306 (VIII) of 9 March 1951 on the Ewe Question;

2. Having considered in this connection various petitions submitted by different groups, parties and individuals to the Trusteeship Council, which are listed in the annex to this resolution;

3. Notes with interest the Anglo-French memorandum regarding the Ewe and Allied Petitions (T/931 and T/931/Add.1) submitted to the Trusteeship Council by the two Administering Authorities in response to Resolution 306 (VIII) of 9 March 1951;

4. Concurs with the view of the two Administering Authorities expressed in their Joint Memorandum that since the Consultative Commission has served its purpose there would now seem to be no reason for continuing its existsence;

5. Approves the proposal of the Administering Authorities to establish a Joint Council composed of representatives from Togoland under French Trusteeship and Togoland under United Kingdom Trusteeship to advise the two Administering Authorities on matters of common concern to the people of the two Trust Territories;

6. Recommends that the two Administering Authorities proceed with their plans immediately to establish such a Joint Council in order that it may have functioned for a sufficient period of time for the United Nations Visiting Mission to the West African Trust Territories in 1952 to form an evaluation of its accomplishments;

7. Recommends that the two Administering Authorities ensure that the scope of responsibilities of the proposed Joint Council be sufficiently broad to enable it to exercise its functions with respect to all questions of common concern to the people of the two Trust Territories, including questions of political, economic, social, educational, and cultural development;

8. Recommends that the method of determining the composition of the Joint Council be such as to ensure, if possible, the participation of the major groups in the two Territories;

9. Urges all elements of the population of the two Trust Territories to cooperate in the establishment and operation of the Joint Council in order that the Joint Council’s decisions may fully reflect the views of all concerned;

10. Requests the two Administering Authorities to report as soon as possible on the action taken pursuant to this resolution.

Acheson

1. This was submitted to the Trusteeship Council as Doc. T/L.213, July 24; official text is in TC (IX), Annexes, fascicule for agenda item 12.