Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The Near and Middle East, Volume IX, Part 1

IO files, lot 71 D 440

No. 688
Department of State Position Paper¹

confidential
SD/A/C.1/427/Add.1

[Washington,] October 15, 1953.

Supplementary Position Paper to Position Paper SD/A/C.1/427 September 5, 1953²—Palestine Refugee Program

The Problem

Positions on the following questions with regard to the UNRWA item need to be formulated in the light of developments since the basic paper was prepared:

1. The level of relief expenditures for the fiscal year 1954;

2. The application of Lebanon for membership on the Advisory Committee;

3. Handling of the TVA Report.

This supplementary paper, together with the paper of September 5 should provide the position both for the United States Representative on the Advisory Commission and for the United States Delegation to the General Assembly.

United States Position

1. Seek to hold relief expenditures for the fiscal period ending June 30, 1954, to 23.8 million dollars on the basis of the comments below. (This completes paragraph 2 of SD/A/C.1/427.)

2. The Advisory Commission should be increased in size to make possible the admission of Lebanon and the addition of another contributing government by the Advisory Commission, subject to the considerations mentioned in the discussion below.

3. Seek support of the UK and French Delegations to join with the United States Delegation in a statement asking for full and sympathetic consideration of the TVA desk study by the states concerned.

Comments

1. With regard to the level of the relief budget for fiscal year ending June 30, 1954, the Department has reviewed the proposed budget of $25.6 million submitted by the Acting Director and considers that savings of about $975 thousand can be effected without impairing the welfare of the refugees on the basis of the program recommended by the Director. Such savings would bring relief expenditures to 24.7 million dollars without taking into account the anticipated employment of refugees on projects during this period. It is possible that another $900 thousand could be deducted from the relief budget and transferred to the reintegration program as a result of such employment. It is suggested that as a matter of presentation the maximum relief budget be shown at $24.7 million less an estimated amount of $900 thousand chargeable to the reintegration budget for refugee employment on projects, bringing the net relief figure to $23.8 million. In the event that this position is not reflected in the joint report of the Director and Advisory Commission to the General Assembly the Department will reconsider its position and instruct accordingly.

2. The Lebanese Government on September 24 officially requested the Chairman of the Advisory Committee of UNRWA to support Lebanon for membership on the Advisory Commission in the General Assembly. Under the terms of Resolution 302 (IV), December 8, 1949, establishing UNRWA, provision was made for an Advisory Commission consisting of representatives of France, Turkey, UK and US to which the Commission was empowered to add three additional members from contributing governments. During the past year the Advisory Commission added Syria, Jordan and Egypt to its membership leaving no further vacancies to be filled. The admission of each of these governments was based not only upon their requests for membership but also upon general agreements concluded with UNRWA for reintegration programs within their respective countries. They had also made contributions of varying degrees in cash, kind or services.

In view of the Lebanese request for membership the General Assembly is confronted with the alternative of increasing the size of the Advisory Commission or refusing to do so and thereby excluding the only other country in the area where large numbers of refugees are located. Thus far Lebanon has concluded no agreements with UNRWA looking toward refugee settlement projects in that country. Moreover, its contributions in cash, kind and services have been extremely small. A further consideration is that if Lebanon were admitted without the addition of another country outside of the area the balance on the Commission would be even. It would be desirable to maintain a majority of contributing governments outside the area by making room for an additional member such as Canada or Australia. It is therefore proposed that the Advisory Commission be empowered by the General Assembly to add two countries to its present membership. This will give the Advisory Commission some bargaining power with Lebanon before granting its request and strengthen the position of the major contributing governments in the General Assembly discussions. Such an increase in size will also furnish an appropriate opportunity to review the present system of full-time representation on the Advisory Commission which has involved difficulties in the relationship between the Director and representatives on the Advisory Commission. Unless the Commission meets less frequently than it has in the past, a larger Commission with continuous representation will make the Director’s task more difficult than ever. In the discussion on the question of increasing the size of the Commission the Delegation may, in its discretion, indicate the desirability of holding meetings of the Advisory Commission not more than once every three months.

3. It is anticipated that the TVA desk study which is to be released to the Advisory Commission about October 12 will arouse adverse comment by the Arab States and Israel and that it will not have a fair hearing unless its importance is underscored by the Secretary General of the United Nations and by the three major contributing governments represented on the Advisory Commission of UNRWA. It is hoped that the Secretary General can be persuaded to make a statement calling on the governments concerned to give full and sympathic consideration to this report. If he does so it would be desirable for the UK, France and US Delegations to follow up immediately with a joint statement supporting the request of the Secretary General. In the event that the Secretary General does not agree to make such a statement a tripartite statement by the US, UK and France would still be called for. Such a statement could be quite brief and should follow immediately the Secretary General’s statement, if made, and the issuance by the United Nations of a press release summarizing the substance of the report. It might include only the following points:

(1) Commendation of the report as an illuminating and helpful study of a very difficult problem;

(2) Indication of the interest of the major contributors in forwarding programs for the welfare of the refugees which are consonant with the welfare of all peoples dependent upon the waters of the Jordan;

(3) Appeal to the governments in the area concerned to give the report their fullest and sympathetic consideration.

1. For the instruction of the U.S. Delegation to the Eighth Regular Session of the U.N. General Assembly.
2. Document 657.