438. Information Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Popper) to Acting Secretary of State Ball1

SUBJECT

  • Security Council Vote on Portuguese Territories

The Security Council today adopted a compromise resolution on the Portuguese territories by a vote of 7–0–4 (US, France, Netherlands, UK) (Tab A).2 The resolution, which was sponsored by the Ivory Coast, Jordan, Malaysia, Liberia, Madagascar, Sierra Leone and Tunisia, was greatly modified by corridor negotiations resulting in the adoption of two amendments introduced by Uruguay, both of which the United States supported.

The first amendment, cutting back the language of operative paragraph one from Chapter VII to Chapter VI by inserting the phrase, “seriously disturbing” international peace and security, was adopted 10–0–1 (France).

The second amendment replaced two paragraphs of the original draft that called on all States to impose an embargo to prevent the sale and shipment to Portugal of equipment and supplies for the manufacture of arms and ammunition. The amendment makes the embargo applicable only to such equipment as would be employed to produce arms for use in the territories. Ambassador Goldberg explained that the United States voted for the amendment because its provisions fall within the terms of our present policy toward Portugal. His statement is attached at Tab B.3

Operative paragraph 8, which called for a total trade embargo of Portugal, was voted on separately in accordance with advance agreement of the co-sponsors and rejected by a vote of 4 (Ivory Coast, Jordan, Malaysia, USSR)-0–7.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 10 PORT/UN. Unclassified. Drafted by Reinertson. A notation on the source text indicates that Ball saw the memorandum.
  2. Not printed. For text of Security Council Resolution 218 (1965), see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1965, pp. 176–178.
  3. Not printed.