611. Editorial Note
At its 593d and 594th plenary meetings on November 24, the General Assembly debated and adopted by a vote of 63–5–10 the resolution sponsored by 20 Afro-Asian nations. (U.N. doc. A/3385/Rev.1) Under the operative paragraphs of this resolution, the General Assembly (1) noted with regret the limited compliance with withdrawal resolutions, (2) reiterated the call to France, Israel, and the United Kingdom to withdraw forthwith, and (3) requested the Secretary-General urgently to communicate the resolution to the parties concerned and to report to the General Assembly without delay. (Resolution 1120 (XI)) The United States voted for this resolution. Prior to the vote on the resolution as a whole, the United States had abstained on an amendment, tabled by the Belgian Government (U.N. doc. A/L. 215), which would have replaced operative paragraphs 1 and 2 of the 20-nation draft resolution with the following sentence:
“Notes that, according to the information received, one-third of the French forces has been withdrawn, the United Kingdom Government has decided to withdraw one infantry battalion immediately, and Israel has withdrawn a part of its troops, and considers that France, the United Kingdom and Israel should expedite the application of the resolutions of 2 and 7 November in the spirit in which [Page 1193] they were adopted, particularly with regard to the functions vested in the United Nations forces.” (U.N. doc. A/L.215)
The Belgian amendment was rejected by a vote of 37–23–18. The following day the Mission in New York suggested to the Department of State that it explain to Western European and Commonwealth countries that the United States had abstained on the Belgian amendment because it would have created the impression that the General Assembly was wavering in its determination that there must be an immediate withdrawal and that it was adopting the Anglo-French thesis that U.N. forces should take over the job which the French and British had begun. (Delga 186 from USUN, November 25; Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–2556)
Also on November 24, the General Assembly approved a draft resolution sponsored by India, Canada, Colombia, Norway, the United States, and Yugoslavia. (U.N. doc. A/3386) According to the operative paragraphs of this resolution, the General Assembly noted with approval the contents of the Secretary-General’s report on the presence and functioning of the UNEF in Egypt as well as the progress made by the Secretary-General in connection with arrangements for clearing the Canal and authorized the Secretary-General to proceed with the exploration of practical arrangements and negotiations of agreement so that the clearing operations might speedily and effectively be undertaken. (Resolution 1121 (XI)) The resolution was adopted by a vote of 65–0–9. (U.N. docs. A/PV. 593 and A/PV. 594)
For text of the remarks made by Ambassador Lodge at the 593d meeting, see Department of State Bulletin, December 10, 1956, pages 914–915.