Issues of Representation in International Organizations


83. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for Economic Affairs (Seidman) to President Ford, Washington, October 11, 1975.

Seidman forwarded a memorandum to Ford summarizing the unanimous recommendation of Secretaries Kissinger, Morton, and Dunlop that the United States should withdraw from the International Labor Organization. Ford approved the recommendation.

Source: Ford Library, Staff Secretary’s Office, Presidential Handwriting File, Box 25, International Organizations—ILO. No classification marking. An attached memorandum from Connor to Seidman, October 20, indicates that Ford approved the memorandum. On November 6, Kissinger informed Blanchard of the U.S. intention to withdraw after the two-year period of notification stipulated in the ILO Constitution. Tab A, attached but not published, is the text of the letter tendering notice of withdrawal, along with background information and press guidance. It was transmitted in telegram 259540 to all diplomatic posts on November 1, 1811Z. Telegram 8491 from the Mission to the U.N. in Geneva, November 11, 1408Z, transmitted Blanchard’s reply.


84. Telegram 17055 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic and Consular Posts, January 23, 1976, 0326Z.

The Department informed posts of Ambassador Silberman’s Presidential appointment as Special Envoy on International Labor Organization affairs to review U.S. policy toward the ILO and to consult with key ILO member countries.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Unclassified. Drafted by Palmer, cleared in Department of Labor and S/IL, and approved by Morey.


85. Telegram 1584 From the Embassy in Yugoslavia to the Department of State, March 11, 1976, 1430Z.

Silberman reported on his meeting with Blanchard to discuss the United States position with regard to International Labor Organization withdrawal.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Exdis. Sent with instructions to pass to Secretary of Labor W.J. Usery, Jr., Deputy Under Secretary of Labor for International Affairs Joel Edwin Segall, Under Secretary of Commerce James A. Baker III, and Lewis. Francis Wolf was Legal Adviser of the ILO. For Kissinger’s letter tendering notice of withdrawal from the ILO, see the source note to Document 83.


86. Telegram 98830 From the Department of State to the Embassy in France, April 23, 1976, 0853Z.

Sisco communicated the contents of a letter from Kissinger to M’Bow concerning the U.S. decision to withhold funds for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use. Drafted and approved by Heater.


87. Telegram 130497 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic Posts, May 27, 1976, 0057Z.

The Department explained the U.S. position on participation in the International Labor Organization and requested posts to stress to host governments the value of refraining from politicization of international technical organizations.

Source: Department of State, INR/SEE/FP Files: Lot 92 D 403, ILO. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Palmer, Toussaint, and Linensemayer (Department of Labor); cleared by Goott (in draft), Selzak (in draft), Whiting (in draft), and Baker, and in EUR/SOV (in draft), ARA (in draft), S/IL (in draft), and NEA/RA; and approved by Toussaint. Repeated Priority to USUN and the Mission to the U.N. in Geneva. For Kissinger’s letter tendering notice of withdrawal from the ILO, see the source note to Document 83.


88. Telegram 138989 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic Posts, June 5, 1976, 1637Z.

The Department provided guidance for posts in explaining the U.S. response to the participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization in International Labor Organization conferences.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, D760217–1017. Limited Official Use; Priority. Drafted by Lorenz; cleared by Helman and Palmer and in NEA, S/IL, and Department of Labor (in substance); and approved by Toussaint.


89. Memorandum From Secretary of State Kissinger to President Ford, Washington, undated.

Kissinger recommended attempting to postpone Angolan admission to the United Nations.

Source: Department of State, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, P840167–1602. Confidential; Nodis. Drafted by Helman on June 11; cleared by Habib, Schaufele, and Aherne. Printed from an uninitialed copy. A memorandum from Connor to Ford, May 11, indicates that Ford gave Scranton verbal orders to veto, with the proviso: “Veto but subject to approval by withdrawal of Cuban troops when and if withdrawal occurs.” (Ford Library, President’s Office Files, President’s Handwriting Files, Box 6, Countries-Angola) On June 23 the U.S. vetoed the admission of Angola admission to the U.N. Sherer’s statement explaining the veto is published in Department of State Bulletin, July 19, 1976, pp. 99–100.


90. Briefing Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Lewis) to Secretary of State Kissinger, Washington, July 8, 1976.

Lewis informed Kissinger of the favorable results of recent International Labor Organization meetings.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, P760113–1931. Confidential. Drafted by T. Windmullter (IO/LAB). Kissinger initialed the memorandum.


91. Telegram 202260 From the Department of State to the Mission to the IAEA in Vienna and the Embassies in France, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, August 13, 1976, 2354Z.

The Department initiated a campaign to oppose expulsion of the Republic of South Africa from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Cavanaugh and Eaton; cleared by Wisner and in EUR/NE, EUR/WE, IO/UNP, OES, ERDA (for information), NRC (for information), and ACDA (paragraph 4); and approved by Schaufele. Repeated to Stockholm, Madrid, Rome, Tripoli, Dakar, Kinshasa, Lusaka, Cape Town, USUN, the Hague, and Canberra.


92. Telegram 206092 From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts, August 19, 1976, 0130Z.

The Department informed selected posts that attempts by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to gain representation previously held by the Republic of Vietnam in international organizations should be decided by the constitutionally established procedures for each organization.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential. Drafted by Miller and McNutt; cleared by Lewis, Martens (in draft), Stowe, Hummel, and in S/S; and approved by Habib. Sent to London, Montreal, Paris for the Representative to UNESCO, Vienna for the Representative to UNIDO, the Mission to the U.N. in Geneva, and the Mission to the IAEA in Vienna. Repeated to Hong Kong, Tokyo, USUN, Bangkok, and Rome for FODAG.


93. Telegram 212234 From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts, August 26, 1976, 1756Z.

The Department instructed posts to oppose efforts to grant the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential. Drafted by Helman; cleared by Lewis, Atherton, and in S/S; and approved by Kissinger. Pages 4–8 of this telegram, not published, repeated the text verbatim to Brasilia and for information to the consul in Rio de Janeiro. On September 23 the IAEA General Conference invited the PLO to participate in its sessions. The U.S. voted against the resolution.


94. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Hummel) and the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Lewis) to Secretary of State Kissinger, Washington, September 11, 1976.

Hummel and Lewis recommended several strategies for addressing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’s attempts to gain membership in several international organizations. Kissinger approved a strategy designed to signal U.S. disapproval.

Source: Department of State, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, P840037–0081. Confidential; Exdis. Drafted by Rosenthal on September 11 and cleared by Verville. Sent through Habib. On September 13 Kissinger initialed his approval of the first three sub-options of Option 3. A memorandum of conversation of the August 17 meeting is ibid., P820118–0473.


95. Telegram 226331/Tosec 270030 From the Department of State to Secretary of State Kissinger, September 13, 1976, 2344Z [entered as September 14].

Robinson reported the postponement of consideration of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’s application for membership in the United Nations in the aftermath of Scranton’s announcement that the United States would veto it in the Security Council.

Source: Department of State, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, P840105–0036. Confidential; Niact Immediate. Drafted by Helman; cleared by Toussaint, Hyland, and in S/S; and approved by Habib. Kissinger was on a September 13–17 trip to several African capitals. The microfilm copy of the telegram reproduced here indicates it was sent on September 13, but it is entered in the electronic system as September 14.


96. Telegram 241525/Tosec 280012 From the Department of State to Secretary of State Kissinger in New York, September 29, 1976, 0039Z.

As part of the daily activity report, Toussaint informed Kissinger that efforts to expel or suspend the Republic of South Africa from participation in the International Atomic Energy Agency were defeated.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Exdis. Drafted by Bodine and approved by Steiner. This section of the report was authored by Toussaint. Kissinger was in New York to deliver an address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 30.


97. Telegram 277310 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Kenya, November 11, 1976, 0126Z.

The Department forwarded instructions to oppose any attempt to exclude the Republic of South Africa from the International Oceanographic Commission.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use; Immediate. Drafted by Lawton and Corte; cleared by Forster, Whiting, Stowe, and in IO/UNP and OES/OFA/MST; and approved by Toussaint. Repeated to Paris.


98. Memorandum From Robert S. Smith of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft), Washington, November 12, 1976.

Smith recommended that the United States abstain on the question of Angolan admission to the United Nations.

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser Files, Presidential Country Files for Africa, Box 1, Angola (2). Confidential. Sent for action. Tab I is not attached. On November 22, the United States abstained from the vote in the Security Council, thereby enabling Angola to attain U.N. membership. Scranton’s statement explaining the abstention is published in Department of State Bulletin, December 20, 1976, p. 742.


99. Telegram 5338 From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, November 16, 1976, 0258Z.

Scranton summarized the outcome of the United Nations Security Council meeting at which the United States vetoed the application of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for membership in the United Nations.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use; Immediate. Repeated to Belgrade, Bucharest, Cotonou, Dar es Salaam, Georgetown, Islamabad, London, Moscow, Panama, Paris (Immediate), Rome, Stockholm, Tokyo, Tripoli, Beijing, and the Mission to NATO. Scranton’s statement accompanying the veto and a November 26 clarification to the General Assembly are published in Department of State Bulletin, December 20, 1976, pp. 740–742.


100. Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Toussaint) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Habib), Washington, December 2, 1976.

Toussaint updated Habib in advance of his meeting with David L. Horowitz, the Representative to the Governing Body of the International Labor Organization.

Source: Department of State, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, P840041–1572. Confidential; Exdis. Drafted by Palmer. Published from an uninitialed copy. No substantive record of the meeting was found.


101. Telegram 5986 From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, December 8, 1976, 2307Z.

Scranton informed the Department that although United Nations Secretary General Waldheim had transmitted the General Assembly’s request that the Security Council reconsider the question of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’s membership application, action would likely be postponed until 1977.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential. Repeated to Paris. Ion Datcu of Romania was President of the U.N. Security Council.


102. Telegram 307916 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic Posts, December 21, 1976, 0216Z.

The Department apprised posts of the generally favorable results of the 19th General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Speh; cleared in draft by Forster, Lorenz, Whiting, Semakis, Goott, Monsma, and in EA/RA; and approved by Toussaint.


103. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford, Washington, undated.

Scowcroft recommended reinstating funding for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Ford initialed his approval.

Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser Files, NSC Staff Files for the Middle East and South Asia, Box 39, United Nations (6). Confidential. Sent for action. A December 17 covering memorandum from Robert S. Smith to Scowcroft indicates that this memorandum was forwarded to Ford on December 29, 1976. Tabs A, undated draft letters to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives certifying that Congressional stipulations had been met, and B, a December 16 memorandum from Kissinger to Ford favoring reinstatement of UNESCO funding, are attached but not published.