320. Editorial Note

The Chairman of the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly submitted a draft resolution on October 8 to establish a Good Offices Committee on South West Africa (U.N. doc. A/3701). Both the United States and the United Kingdom were to be represented on the Committee with the third member to be nominated by the President of the Twelfth Session of the General Assembly. This was the basis of General Assembly Resolution 1143(XII), adopted on October 25 by a vote of 50 (including the United States) to 10, with 17 abstentions. The Committee was “to discuss with the Government of the Union of South Africa a basis for an agreement which would continue to accord to the Territory of South West Africa an international status”. The Committee was requested to submit a report to the next session of the General Assembly “on its activities for examination and decision by the Assembly in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations”. On November 1, Sir Leslie Munro designated the Brazilian Ambassador to Cuba, Vasco T. Leitao da Cunha, [Page 833] as the third member. He joined Walter N. Walmsley of the United States and the British Governor General of Ghana, Sir Charles Noble Arden-Clarke. At first it seemed that some negotiations might be possible, but then the Second Secretary of the South African Embassy informed representatives of the Office of Southern Africa Affairs on December 10 that Louw apparently intended to “drag his feet” instead of offering firm support. (Memorandum of conversation by Richard D. Forster; Department of State, Central Files, 320.5745X/12–1057) See Yearbook of the United Nations 1957, pages 307–314.