Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, United Nations Affairs, Volume III

IO files, SD/A/C.4/129

Position Paper Prepared in the Department of State for the United States Delegation to the Ninth Regular Session of the General Assembly

official use only

[Washington,] September 11, 1954.

Report of the Trusteeship Council: Section on Attainment by Trust Territories of the Objective of Self-Government or Independence

the problem

The Trusteeship Council’s report contains a section (Ch. V, Sec. 9) entitled “Attainment by the Trust Territories of the objective of self-government or independence.”¹ This section was prepared pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 752 (VIII); however, as it does not contain all the elements called for in that resolution, it may not be satisfactory to certain Members. Since the Trusteeship Council does not report to the Assembly on the U.S.-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, there is no reference to that territory in this section of the report. The United States would nevertheless have to take a position on proposals made under this item. Moreover, proposals might be formulated in a way which would affect U.S. responsibilities, and in any event they would affect the responsibilities of other administering powers which would presumably seek our support for the positions taken by them.

united states position

1. The Delegation should not play a prominent role in the discussion of the item.

2. If appropriate, the Delegation should indicate that the United States abstained on Resolution 752 (VIII), as well as on Resolution 558 (VI) on which it was based, largely because it had reservations as to the practicality of setting time-limits for the attainment of self-government or independence by Trust Territories.

3. With regard to the failure of the Council to implement the final phrase of Paragraph 3 of Resolution 752 (VIII), i.e., “stating in each case its conclusions and recommendations in the light of Resolution 558 (VI) and the present resolution,” the Delegation may point out that this matter was discussed at the Fourteenth Session of the Trusteeship Council and a set of conclusions and recommendations introduced by India was withdrawn in order to allow time for the Representatives of the Administering Powers to consult their Governments. Consequently, the Assembly should await the next report of the Trusteeship Council before determining whether further Assembly action is necessary.

4. In general, the Delegation should abstain on further proposals on this subject at this session. If, however, a resolution is introduced which, in the Delegation’s view, requires a clear cut positive or negative stand, it should consult the Department.

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Despite the fact that the operations of the United Nations Trusteeship System are as a whole directed towards the “attainment by Trust Territories of the objective of self-government or independence,” the majority of the Assembly has felt that certain supplementary measures are required. Among these measures have been those set forth in Resolutions 558 (VI) and 752 (VIII).

The first of these resolutions seeks more information from the Administering Authorities in their annual reports on both the manner and the time in which each Territory is to achieve these objectives. In its final paragraph it asks each Administering Authority “to include … information in respect of … the period of time in which it is expected that the Trust Territory shall attain the objective of self-government or independence.”

The United States has in practice considered that General Assembly resolutions relating to Trust Territories generally are applicable to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, although, of course, the United States has the right set forth in Article 13 of the Trusteeship Agreement “to determine the extent of their applicability to any areas which may from time to time be specified by it as closed for security reasons.” Thus, the United States provided information on Resolution 558 (VI) in the 1951–52 annual report to the General Assembly on the Trust Territory. After referring to various steps being taken to achieve the Trusteeship objectives, the report states that “no specific period of time can be forecast for the attainment of the objective of self-government or independence for the Territory as a whole.”

Resolution 752 (VIII) resulted from the view of a majority of the Assembly that the Administering Authorities had not satisfactorily responded to Resolution 558 (VI). It asked the Trusteeship Council to include in its reports to the General Assembly (thereby excluding the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands) a separate section dealing with the implementation of Resolutions 558 (VI) and 752 (VIII). It specified certain types of information which this section should contain and asked the Council to state its conclusions and recommendations in the light of the two resolutions.²

Section 9 of Chapter V of the Trusteeship Council’s current report does contain a factual account of the measures taken by the other Administering Authorities pursuant to these two resolutions. It does not, however, contain any “conclusions and recommendations.” A set of conclusions and recommendations was introduced by India in the Trusteeship Council near the close of the Fourteenth Session; however, it was withdrawn when several of the Administering Authorities stated that they would have to refer them to their governments, and that they would not be able to obtain instructions on the proposed conclusions and recommendations before the close of the Session. The Representative of India, while recognizing the need of the Administering Authorities to have time to consider his proposals, indicated that he would reintroduce the matter early in the next session of the Council.

Since Resolution 752 (VIII) and the section of the Trusteeship Council’s report prepared pursuant to it do not relate to United States Trusteeship obligations, there is no reason for us to participate actively in the debate on this item. Moreover, we have reservations concerning the practicality of a generalized application of the time-table concept. Consequently our best course is to follow the precedent of abstaining on this item, unless, of course, a new type of proposal requires reconsideration of our position.

1. United Nations, Official Records of the General Assembly, Ninth Session. Report of the Trusteeship Council, covering the period from 22 July 1953 to 16 July 1954, Supplement No. 4 (A/2680), p. 34. See also ibid., Part III, “Attainment by the Trust Territories of Self-Government or Independence”, pp. 279–297. This is the text of a draft report submitted by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the subject and considered and adopted with amendments by the Trusteeship Council at its 14th Session.

2. The resolution requested information specifying in particular the measures taken in respect of:

   • “(a) Consultation with the inhabitants of each Trust Territory in regard to the measures taken or contemplated towards self-government;
   • “(b) the development in each Trust Territory of representative, executive and legislative organs and the extension of their powers;
   • “(c) the development in each Trust Territory of universal adult suffrage and direct elections;
   • “(d) the training and appointment of indigenous persons in each Trust Territory for positions of responsibility in the administration; and
   • “(e) the development of adequate public revenue; and stating in each case its conclusions and recommendations in the light of Resolution 558 (VI) and the present resolution.”