Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1969–1972

136. Telegram 2766 From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State¹ ²

New York, October 28, 1970, 0119Z.

Subject:

• UNGA Draft Res Commending Seabed Disarmament Treaty

1. Summary. This cable summarizes current status of consultations to gain support for US-Soviet draft of res commending seabed disarmament treaty. US and Sov dels have agreed last week to circulate revised res with last preambular para amended as authorized by State 173723 to delete reference to freedoms of the seas. Twenty CCD dels now prepared to co-sponsor revised draft. Ten additional dels outside CCD have been consulted. OSV del has also received contingent authority from Moscow to change third preambular para as suggested by Garcia Robles. No new changes in res are now under discussion between US and Sov dels. End summary.

2. All of US and Sov CCD allies (UK, Canada, Netherlands, Italy and Japan: Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Mongolia and Romania) have agreed to co-sponsor revised res.

3. Of Non-Aligned CCD dels, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Argentina, Morocco, Nigeria, Sweden and UAR (subject to condition, see below) have agreed to co-sponsor revised draft.

4. Sirry (UAR) told US del off (Neidle) that though UAR had earlier agreed unconditionally to co-sponsor, it had since perceived a problem. Final draft of treaty had been amended to state that all interested parties are “entitled” to participate in verification consultations. This revived problem which UAR had raised earlier at CCD that Israel might claim right to consult with UAR about possible treaty violation and that UAR might not be able to take its case to Security Council unless it agreed to these consultations. Accordingly, UAR del would be willing to co-sponsor res provided US and Sov dels would repeat in committee their statements made in Geneva that treaty did not limit rights of UN members under Charter to take a case directly to Security Council. Neidle said he thought there would be no difficulty in repeating what we had already said in Geneva.

5. Souza y Silva (Brazil) took up with visiting Brazilian Fon Min question of possible Brazilian co-sponsorship. Fon Min agreed with Brazilian del that Brazil should, of course, stick by commitment to support treaty and vote for res but that it would not go step further and co-sponsor res. possibility of Mexican co-sponsorship remains to be considered pending agreement with US and Sov dels on statements to cover Mexican substantive problems.

6. Indian del has provided conflicting signals. Amb Sen reportedly told Amb Roshchin (USSR) that India agreed to text. However, Jain (Indian CCD expert) told both Roshchin and Neidle that he personally believed res ought to have clause on further disarmament negotiations in seabed area. Edelstam (Sweden) confirmed to Neidle that Swedes would not raise issue of adding clause on further negotiations and agreed to Neidle’s request to seek to dissuade Jain from pursuing this idea.

7. No answer yet received from Yugoslavia or Burma.

8. US del offs have begun consultations with following additional non-CCD dels, requesting that they consider co-sponsorship of draft res: Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark. (We plan as soon as opportunity can be arranged to consult with additional dels, including Dominican Republic, Iceland, Norway and Belgium.) Soviet del has approached Finland. Amb Ignatieff (Canada), at-our request, has given copies of res to Amerasinghe (Ceylon) and Pardo (Malta) urging their co-sponsorship. Ignatieff reports that both of them asked questions about origins of various clauses in draft, but did not state any objections. Ignatieff, based on his first impressions, thinks prospects are fair that he will receive affirmative answers.

Yost

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–1973, POL 33–6. Confidential. It was repeated to USNATO and USMission Geneva.
2. The telegram reported on the status of negotiations at the UN General Assembly over a resolution commending the seabed arms control treaty, highlighting the positive response to the draft and noting all CCD allies of both the United States and Soviet Union would co-sponsor the resolution.