99. Telegram 3857 From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State1 2
Subj:
- 31st UNGA: Draft Resolution on Indian Ocean Peace Zone (IOPZ)
1. UN Ad Hoc Committee on Indian Ocean concluded 1976 meetings Sept 17 with adoption of final report and consensus approval of draft resolution (text below) to be submitted to UNGA First Committee. Draft, largely based on Sri Lankan working paper, is modest and essentially procedural. Most notably, it avoids any mention of Diego Garcia, which was highlighted in non-aligned summit’s political declaration on IOPZ. Also notable is its restrained language concerning a conference of Indian Ocean states, calling simply for continued consultations on a program of action leading up to the convening of such a conference.
2. According to Australian MisOff who participated in committee meetings, low-keyed results reflect views of more conservative members of committee, including Australia, Iran, and India, which opposed “precipitate action” on conference proposal or even establishment of time-frame for preparatory work. Sri Lanka also reportedly continued to take a basically moderate stand, though favoring development of a time-frame. Radicals, especially Iraq and Madagascar, were generally absent from committee meetings. End LOU.
Begin unclassified
3. Text of draft resolution, which will presumably be introduced by Sri Lanka in first committee when disarmament debate begins (probably in late October) follows:
Quote:
The General Assembly,
Recalling the declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace contained in Resolution 2832 (XXVI) of 16 December 1971, and recalling also its Resolutions 2992 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972, 3080 (XXVIII) of 6 December 1973, 3259 A (XXIX) of 9 December 1974, and 3468 (XXX) of 11 December 1975,
Reaffirming its conviction that concrete action in furtherance of the objectives of the declaration would be a substantial contribution to the strengthening of international peace and security,
Noting the resolution adopted at the Fifth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-aligned Countries on the subject of the Indian Ocean Peace Zone proposal, deeply concerned that there has been an escalation of the military presence of the great powers conceived in the context of great power rivalry in the Indian Ocean, and believing therefore that the implementation of the purposes and objectives of the declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace has acquired a new urgency,
Regretting that despite repeated invitations, certain Great Powers as well as certain major maritime users of the Indian Ocean, have not so far found it possible to co-operate with the Ad Hoc Committee and the littoral and hinterland states of the Indian Ocean,
1. Takes note of the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean, and in particular Section II thereof concerning the consultations entered into by the littoral and hinterland states of the Indian Ocean in pursuance of paragraphs 3 and 4 of General Assembly Resolution 3468 (XXX);
2. Requests the Ad Hoc Committee and the littoral and hinterland states of the Indian Ocean to continue their consultations with a view to formulating a programme of action leading up to the convening of a conference on the Indian Ocean;
3. Renews its invitation to all states, in particular the Great Powers and major maritimte users of the Indian Ocean, to co-operate in a practical manner with the Ad Hoc Committee in the discharge of its functions;
4. Requests the Ad Hoc Committee to continue its work and consultations in accordance with its mandate and to submit to the General Assembly at its Thirty-Second Session a report on its work;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to render all necessary assistance to the Ad Hoc Committee, including the provision of summary records. Unquote.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use. It was repeated to Bonn, Canberra, Colombo, London, Moscow, New Delhi, Ottawa, Paris, Rome, Tehran, The Hague, Tokyo, NATO, and Geneva. The resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly First Committee on November 29. In telegram 285827, from the Department, November 20, the Department transmitted instructions to abstain on the resulting resolution. (Ibid.) The Soviet Union also abstained. The General Assembly adopted the resolution (31/88) by a vote of 106–0–27 on December 14. (Yearbook of the United Nations Vol. XXX, 1976, pp. 33–35)↩
- The mission reported that the Ad Hoc Committee of the UN General Assembly on the Indian Ocean Peace Zone had approved a resolution based on a Sri Lankan working paper that avoided mention of Diego Garcia and was, in the view of the mission “moderate” and reflective of the views of “more conservative members of the committee.”↩