Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1957, Volume XVII

409. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Wilcox) to the Secretary of State¹

Washington, November 22, 1957.

SUBJECT

• Financing UNEF—Information Paper

Since our last report to you concerning the United Nations Emergency Force (attached),² there have been some shifts and adjustments in our general approach toward Assembly action.

Working within the broad limit of approximately $28 million possible total United States payments for the two year period, the US-GADel encouraged negotiations which have led to the introduction of a resolution by 20 nations³ which basically accepts the principle that all UNEF costs should be borne by the members on the basis of the regular scale of contributions. Actual total assessments would be subject to a reduction through offers of special assistance during the first year ending December 31, 1957. The idea of a voluntary contributions account, with a target to be achieved, would be abandoned as unrealistic.

On the basis that the principle of assessment would be accepted, that the actual amount assessed, therefore, would run considerably above our expectations voiced earlier, and particularly that 1958 would be put on a reasonably sound financial basis, the United States has announced an extension of its “special assistance” to the Force (originally given in the form of an air-lift). This would involve an amount of $12 million, as opposed to the approximately $12.5–$17.5 million which we had previously estimated as a possible “voluntary” contribution. Other countries have generally regarded this as a generous and constructive approach toward the problem, and several have come forward with offers of similar “special assistance” (e.g. $1,000,000 by the UK).

Approval of ICA has been obtained for the use of $9.75 million from current year MSP funds. This, together with $2.25 million remaining from an allocation of fiscal year 1957 MSP funds for UNEF, provides the $12 million mentioned above.

The Bureau of the Budget has agreed in principle to the submission of fiscal year 1958 supplemental request to the Congress for the funds necessary to pay our assessment to UNEF (the same procedure used last spring as regards our first assessment toward the preliminary UNEF budget). The amount involved will total between $9.5 million and $10 million. Our total contributions will not exceed 50% of the total amounts thus far contributed and being sought under the resolution referred to above.

It is hoped that the basic Assembly action can be completed by the end of this week (November 22).

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.5780/11-2257. Drafted by Fobes and Hanes.
2. Not attached to the source text, nor found elsewhere in Department of State files.
3. Reference is to the draft resolution, sponsored by 21 nations (Brazil, Canada, Ceylon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Norway, Pakistan, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Uruguay, and Yugoslavia) (U.N. doc. A/L.235 and Add. 1). On November 22, the U.N. General Assembly adopted the resolution by a vote of 51 in favor, 11 opposed, with 19 abstentions. (Resolution 1151 (XII))