740.5/5–2451: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Deputy Representative on the North Atlantic Council (Spofford), at London1
Todep 514. For Spofford. Re Depto 990,2 Todep 437.3
1. Text revised draft memorandum and principles concerning relationship between UN and collective self-defense and regional arrangements, which have been submitted to Dept Def for JCS views on military implications, fols:
“Relationship Between the UN and Collective Self-Defense and Regional Arrangements. In directing the CMC to study methods which might be used to strengthen internatl peace and security, the GA expressly provided that the Comite shld take account of regional and collective self-defense arrangements.
“The Charter recognized that States might arrange themselves in regional or other less than universal groupings in order to strengthen their own security. Various provisions were inserted in the Charter to insure that any such arrangements shld fit into the collective security system envisaged by the Charter under which the SC has primary responsibility for the maintenance of internatl peace. These provisions are found in Articles 24, 48(2), 51, 52(1), 53(1) and 54.
“Because of world tensions created by the USSR the free nations of the world established collective defense and regional arrangements to an extent which was not envisaged at the time of San Francisco. These arrangements were not expected to be a substitute for the system of the Charter under the direction of the SC. They were expressly tied into the Charter to supplement and strengthen the UN in the security field. Thus they are to be differentiated from mere military alliances.
“In adopting the Uniting for Peace Res the GA sought to ensure that pending the time when there were available to the SC armed forces contributed by Member States pursuant to special agreements under Article 43, the UN wld have at its disposal means for maintaining internatl peace and security. The Res made explicit the procedures [Page 181] by which the GA cld make recommendations to Member States for collective measures in cases where the SC failed to exercise its responsibility because of the veto.
“Neither the Charter, however, nor the Uniting for Peace Res expressly provided for relationships between regional and collective self-defense arrangements and the preparation for or the taking of collective measures by Member States pursuant to GA recommendations. An analysis of these relationships is therefore an essential part of the work of the CMC in its task of contributing to the development of an effective collective security system.
“In establishing these relationships both in terms of concept and in terms of operational reality much work needs to be done both by the UN itself and by the existing arrangements for collective self-defense and regional agencies.
“Both arrangements to which the US is a party are by their express provisions closely tied into the Charter of the UN. It is obvious that the policies of the US to strengthen the NAT, to strengthen hemispheric security under the regional arrangement with the LA States, and to develop the UN into an effective collective security system are not inconsistent policies but are mutually dependent. It is therefore to our interest to develop sound relationships between the UN and the arrangements to which we are parties as well as other groupings of states. By so doing we will increase the possibilities of obtaining the political and material cooperation in support of UN action of those states outside the North Atlantic and Rio Treaties.
“The principles which fol if used as a basis for these relationships will represent a further development of the Uniting for Peace Res in furtherance of the policy of the UN to build up an effective collective security system. Furthermore, after consideration of the question by the UN itself and by the appropriate organs of the collective defense and regional arrangements, sound working relationships can be developed which can go far to build an overall system to maintain or restore peace. These working relationships wld not, of course, touch upon the field of strategic planning, nor wld they deprive such arrangements of their capacity for independent action where necessary.
Principles.
“1. There is adequate constitutional authority under the Charter for the utilization of collective defense and regional arrangements in the collective security system of the UN.
“2. By Articles 24 and 51 and under Chapter VIII the Charter expressly recognized the need for coordinating the activities of such arrangements with those taken on a universal basis by the UN for the maintenance of internatl peace and security.
“3. If the SC fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of internatl peace and security and, pursuant to its Charter authority and the Uniting for Peace Res, the GA makes recommendations for collective measures, the need for coordination of the activities of collective defense and regional arrangements and UN action still remains. Accordingly, in such cases the GA shld by its recommendations seek to secure such coordination.
“4. Both the SC and the GA, therefore, in their preparations to strengthen collective security in order to prevent threats to or breaches of the peace and to deter acts of aggression shld take into account [Page 182] collective defense and regional arrangements and work out techniques concerting the collective measures recommended by the SC or the GA with the measures which might be taken by such collective defense and regional arrangements.
“Similarly the collective defense and regional arrangements themselves shld, in their planning, give consideration to the coordination of their activities with UN preparations to strengthen collective security and with the collective measures which might be recommended by the SC or the GA.
“5. Furthermore, in making such recommendations for collective measures, pursuant to para 1 of the Uniting for Peace Res, the GA can recommend to States that such collective measures be carried out by them directly and through their action in the arrangements or agencies of which they are members.
“6. The machinery of regional or collective defense arrangements cld appropriately be used by states parties to such arrangements to carry out recommendations by the SC or the GA for collective measures to maintain or restore internatl peace and security.
“7. In the event of an armed attack where self-defense measures are being taken, the SC, or the GA, under the circumstances provided for in para 1 of the Uniting for Peace Res, can appropriately make recommendations to States to supplement such measures and to coordinate with them such other or further collective measures as may be decided upon.
“8. Such recommendations cld appropriately include endorsement of such measures of self-defense and they may, if desirable, confer authority on the state or states taking measures to continue the action on behalf of the UN.”