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

ODA files, lot 62 D 225, “General Assembly”

Memorandum by an Adviser of the United States Delegation to the Ninth Regular Session of the General Assembly (Robbins), to the Director of the Office of Dependent Area Affairs (Gerig)

confidential

[New York,] November 3, 1954.

• Subject:
• Application of Two-Thirds Majority Rule to Categories of Questions in the Colonial Field.

The United Kingdom Delegation (Mr. Gidden) referred today to the US–UK Colonial Talks held last summer in the Department and recalled that at that time the possible application of the two-thirds rule to certain matters arising in the colonial field was mentioned. Mr. Gidden said that since that time the Colonial Office had studied the problem and that its condensed thinking was set forth in the attached list of six categories of questions on which it would be desirable to have decisions taken by a two-thirds majority.

Mr. Gidden went on to say that the Colonial Office had requested that the list be referred to the Department for its comments. The Colonial Office has expressed the hope that if the U.S. and U.K. could reach some general agreement on what they would regard as “important questions” requiring a two-thirds majority, it might be possible for our two governments to follow a common line when this matter arises. Mr. Gidden did not believe that it would be possible in the course of the Ninth General Assembly for us to reach any final conclusions on this matter. He believed, however, that occasion could arise during this assembly in which our respective delegations might wish to indicate that this subject had already received some serious study by them.

I told Mr. Gidden that the results of the Colonial Office’s study of this matter would be of much interest to the Department and that I would be happy to refer the list of categories to the Department for its comments.

R[obert] R. R[obbins]

[Enclosure]

confidential

Categories of Questions in the Colonial Field on Which it Would be Desirable to Have Decisions Taken by a Two-Thirds Majority¹

1. Decisions involving the political affairs of Non-Self-Governing Territories, either general or in relation to particular territories.

2. Decisions to admit petitions, written or oral, relating to the affairs of Non-Self-Governing Territories. (Note: in general such decisions would fall to be taken in the first instance in an Assembly Committee, where Article 18(2) is inapplicable, but we should urge reference of such questions to the Plenary Assembly for decision).

3. Decisions involving reference to the International Court of Justice of a Colonial (or Trusteeship) question.

4. Decisions relating to the cessation of Article 73(e) transmissions.

5. Decisions involving recommendations to administering powers to pursue some specific policy or to accept some specific obligation in relation to the United Nations or Colonial questions.

6. Decisions involving an interpretation of the scope of Chapter XI of the Charter e.g. the extent to which Article 73 (b) empowers the United Nations to examine the political affairs of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

1. Marginal notation at the bottom of the document: “categories unsafe—better deal ad hoc—depends on who initiates”. The handwriting is not identifiable.