376. Editorial Note
Between May 29 and June 4, the United Nations Security Council discussed the report that Secretary-General Hammarskjöld had submitted to the Security Council on May 9 (U.N. doc. S/3596) and considered a draft resolution initially submitted by the United Kingdom on May 25 (U.N. doc. S/3600) and then revised on May 29 (U.N. doc. S/3600/Rev. 1).
The revised draft resolution, noting the need to create conditions to promote a peaceful settlement, on a mutually acceptable basis, of the dispute dividing the parties who had signed the General Armistice Agreements: (1) commended the Secretary-General and the parties for the progress already achieved; (2) declared that the parties should speedily carry out the measures already agreed upon with the Secretary-General and should put into effect the further proposals of the Secretary-General and of the Chief of Staff; (3) declared that the full freedom of movement of United Nations observers must be respected in all areas along the Demarcation Lines, in the Demilitarized Zones, and in the Defensive Areas; (4) endorsed the Secretary-General’s view that the re-establishment of full compliance with the Armistice Agreements represented a stage which had to be passed in order to make progress possible on the main issues between the parties; (5) requested the Chief of Staff to continue his observations of the cease-fire pursuant to the Security Council’s resolution of August 11, 1949; (6) called upon the parties to the Armistice Agreement to take steps necessary to carry out this resolution; and (7) requested the Secretary-General to continue his good offices with the parties and to report to the Security Council as appropriate.
After extensive debate, the United Kingdom Representative revised his draft resolution on June 1 to accommodate Arab concerns. (U.N. doc. S/3600/Rev. 2) The revision deleted, in operative paragraph 3, the words “in all areas”, and inserted, in operative paragraph 7, the words “with a view to full implementation of the Council’s resolution of 4 April and full compliance with the Armistice Agreement.” On June 4, the United Kingdom Representative accepted an Iranian amendment to delete the phrase “on a mutually acceptable basis” in the preamble noting the need for promotion of peaceful settlement. Again the revision was to meet Arab criticism. On June 4, the United Kingdom draft resolution, as revised and amended, was unanimously adopted (U.N. doc. S/3605).