310/10–2054
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Key)1
- Subject:
- Spanish Observer at UN.
- Participants:
- Sr. Propper, Chargé d’Affaires, Spanish Embassy
- Mr. Key, IO
- Mr. Allen, EUR
- Miss Brown, UNP
Mr. Key called in Sr. Propper to discuss with him the Spanish desire to arrange for an observer at the UN. As he understood the situation, in response to a telephone call from the Spanish Ambassador, Secretary General Hammarskjold had written him a letter indicating the possible problem raised by the various General Assembly resolutions on Spain and stating his intention in these circumstances to consult members of the UN if an official request from Spain to send a permanent observer to the UN were received. Mr. Hammarskjold was now awaiting the Spanish reply. Sr. Propper confirmed this sequence of events.
Mr. Key informed Sr. Propper that we agreed with the Spanish Embassy that it was unnecessary for the Secretary General to consult others, but he also noted the Secretary General’s somewhat delicate position in matters of this sort, which led him to lean over backwards. In any case, if we were consulted, Mr. Key said we would indicate our support for a Spanish observer, a view undoubtedly shared by many other members, though a few undoubtedly remained hostile toward Spain. He went on to suggest that if Spain wished to go ahead, a decision it must make for itself, it might facilitate matters by sending a reply to the Secretary General’s letter. In such a letter the Spanish Government might in effect reserve its position on the matter of consultations, perhaps expressing the hope that the Secretary General had made any inquiries he considered necessary but at the same time stating that it saw no reason for such action and knew this view was shared by others. Alternatively, an appropriate Spanish representative might discuss the matter informally with the Secretary General in New York.
Sr. Propper believed that it might be best for his government simply to ask directly for observer status, sending the name or names of the Spanish personnel involved in the same communication. He expressed the view that the presence in the Secretariat of Spanish Communists might have some bearing on the UN reaction. He indicated his hope [Page 1054] that a permanent small observer group of perhaps one to three persons might be a good beginning for Spain’s participation in the UN.
Sr. Propper informed us that his government had sent observers to the 8th General Assembly, the request having been made in a letter from the Foreign Minister to the Secretary General. These observers had been afforded the appropriate courtesies in New York. Mr. Key suggested that it would be helpful to refer to this fact in the letter asking for permanent observer status for Spain. In this connection he noted the possible advantages in handling this matter orally in New York since it would be possible to make some relevant points informally that might not be suitable for inclusion in a letter.
After further discussion, Sr. Propper was inclined to feel that it would be preferable to include in the letter requesting observer status the statement that a Spanish representative would be pleased to come to New York to discuss the matter directly with the Secretary General. He emphasized the view of his government that events had entirely overtaken the various UN resolutions on Spain, noting that Spain was now participating in a number of the specialized agencies and exchanged diplomatic representatives with most UN members. Mr. Key suggested it would be useful for the Spanish letter to refer to broad Spanish participation in other international activities.
Sr. Propper expressed his appreciation and indicated he would take the matter up with his government in the light of the various suggestions we made to him.2
- Drafted by Elizabeth A. Brown of the Office of UN Political and Security Affairs, on Oct. 25.↩
- On Nov. 10, 1954 Sr. Propper called on Assistant Secretary Key to hand him a copy of the Spanish text of a note of Nov. 6, 1954, from the Spanish Ambassador to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, requesting UN observer status for Spain; not printed. At that time Sr. Propper explained that it had been decided not to discuss in the note the question whether the Secretary-General need consult with other members on the Spanish request. It had also been decided not to mention that the Spanish Government had representatives present at the General Assembly’s eighth session, “since technically speaking, they were not called observers.” (Memorandum of conversation by Key, Nov. 10, 1954, with attached Spanish text of Spanish Embassy note of Nov. 6, 1954, 310/11–1054)↩