ODA files, lot 60 D 512, “Col/Pol, Bilateral Talks (Non-Administering, ’52)”
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Dependent Area Affairs ( Gerig )1
- Subject:
- Talks on Fourth Committee Matters with Non-Administering United Nations Members
Pursuant to the plan discussed in the Working Group on Colonial Problems it is proposed to hold discussions before the opening of the Seventh Session of the General Assembly with selected Non-Administering Members of the United Nations on the more important items on the agenda of the Fourth Committee. Such discussions would be held in New York or Washington, depending in each case on the availability of suitable representatives of the Governments concerned. In addition to these talks it is planned to send a circular airgram to [Page 1242] United States Missions in nearly all non-administering countries so that an exchange of views on important Fourth Committee items may be arranged with the various Foreign Offices. Talks with certain administering powers either have been held or are planned for Washington and New York.
It is proposed that the following list of topics be sent to each non-administering state with whom it is intended to hold discussions, along with an invitation to participate in such talks. The invitation would also ask the Government concerned whether it has any other topics to suggest. The topics we would propose are: (1) Administrative Unions; (2) Ewe and Togoland Unification; (3) Participation of Inhabitants in the Work of the Trusteeship Council and the Committee on Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories; (4) Future of the Special (Non-Self-Governing Territories) Committee; and (5) Factors which should be taken into Account in deciding whether a Territory is or is not Self-Governing.
The following countries, listed by area, are those with which UND would suggest talks. We should like the advice of each geographic bureau as to the composition of this list for countries in its area, and as to the level of representation and the location of each talk. UND believes that the talks will be most beneficial when they are held with individuals familiar with Fourth Committee matters, preferably representatives on the Fourth Committee.
- Far Eastern Countries: Burma, China, Philippines, Thailand.
- Near Eastern and African Countries: India, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria.
- Latin American Countries: Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Uruguay, Venezuela.
It is expected that the airgram on Fourth Committee matters to our Missions in non-administering countries, which will form the substantive basis for the above talks, will be sent to you shortly for clearance. Meanwhile, however, it is hoped that agreement can be reached promptly as to the agenda and arrangements for these talks in order that they may be initiated in the near future.2
- Addressed to the UN Advisers of the following bureaus of the Department of State: Ruth Bacon, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs; Harry Howard, Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian and African Affairs; and George Monsma, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs. These officers were representatives of their bureaus in a Departmental committee known as the UN Liaison Committee, which also included membership from the UN Affairs (the steering group) and from the Bureau of European Affairs. A copy of this memorandum was sent also to Ward Allen, UN Adviser, Bureau of European Affairs; this bureau’s relationship was wholly with Administering Members. The airgram was sent subsequently Oct. 18, 1952, not printed (320/10–1852).↩
- Conversations with delegates from the non-Administering Countries to the Seventh Regular Session of the General Assembly took place principally in New York. Ambassador at large Philip C. Jessup, a representative on the U.S. Delegation, was U.S. Member on the Fourth Committee, and participated prominently in these conversations. A complete file of Jessup’s conversations at this General Assembly is in the UNP files, lot 60 D 268, “Seventh General Assembly, Memoranda of Conversations” (5 folders).↩