Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–14, Part 1, Documents on the United Nations, 1973–1976

14. Telegram 104050 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic Posts, May 17, 1974, 2304Z.¹ ²

May 17, 1974, 2304Z

TELEGRAM
Department of State
104050

R 172304Z MAY 74

FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC POSTS
INFO USLO PEKING
AMCONSUL
AMEMBASSY TAIPEI
AMEMBASSY SUVA BY POUCH

STATE 104050

E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS PFOR, XA, XB, XR, YO, RO, MT, UN

SUBJECT: UNGA SIXTH SPECIAL SESSION -- STEAMROLLER TACTICS

1. UNGA SIXTH SPECIAL SESSION RAISED VARIETY OF ISSUES WITH WHICH DEPT AND USG WILL BE CONCERNED OVER NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS. MOST WILL BE DESCRIBED IN FORTHCOMING CIRCULAR AIRGRAM GIVING EXTENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF SESSION. STATE 94134 HAS REPORTED SESSION’S HANDLING OF US $4 BILLION AID PROPOSAL. DEPT IS ALSO CONSULTING MANY POSTS ON STATUS OF RELATIONS AMONG LDC’S AND WITH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FOLLOWING SIXTH SPECIAL SESSION (STATE 099106). THIS MESSAGE OUTLINES FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND ACTION WITH HOST GOVERNMENTS MORE LIMITED QUESTION OF OUR CONCERN OVER EMPLOYMENT BY NON-ALIGNED CONFERENCE GROUP/GROUP 77 AT SPECIAL SESSION OF “AUTOMATIC MAJORITY.”

2. AS POSTS AWARE, WE HAVE LONG BEEN TROUBLED AT TENDENCY OF MANY LDC’S AND SOMETIMES OTHERS TO PUSH THROUGH RESOLUTIONS WITHOUT ADEQUATE CONSIDERATION OR REGARD TO PRACTICAL PROBLEMS OF IMPLEMENTATION. REPEATED PASSAGE OF SUCH RESOLUTIONS WITHOUT SERIOUS EFFORTS TO MEET IMPORTANT VIEWS OF MEMBERS IN MINORITY WHOSE COOPERATION ESSENTIAL FOR IMPLEMENTING THEM DEBASES IMPORTANCE OF UN RESOLUTIONS, PARTICULARLY IN GA. AT SIXTH SPECIAL SESSION, THE G-77 AND NACG COMPOUNDED PAST PRACTICE BY USING STEAMROLLER MAJORITY TO (A) PREVENT FURTHER BRIEF EXTENSION OF SPECIAL SESSION FOR CONSIDERATION OF VOLUMINOUS PRE-PREPARED DOCUMENTS (DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES AND PLAN OF ACTION), FINAL TEXT OF WHICH THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY ADEQUATELY (E.G. ONE IMPORTANT AMENDMENT WAS IN FACT NOT SHOWN TO US UNTIL ADOPTION.), (B) SHARPLY LIMIT MEANINGFUL NEGOTIATION DESPITE IMPORTANCE AND COMPLEXITY OF SUBJECT, (C) PREVENT ADEQUATE CONSIDERATION OF DIVERSITY OF VIEWS INCLUDING RESOLUTIONS PRESENTED BY OTHER UN MEMBERS AND (D) USE DISPOSITION FOR CONSENSUS TO DISSUADE DISSENTERS FROM REQUIRING A VOTE.

3. FOR EXAMPLE, AT APRIL 29 MEETING OF AD HOC COMMITTEE (OF THE WHOLE), FRANCE, JAPAN (WITH MALAYSIA CO-SPONSOR), NEW ZEALAND (WITH SRI LANKA CO-SPONSOR), AND US INTRODUCED RESOLUTIONS INTENDED TO IMPLEMENT PROPOSALS MADE IN THEIR PLENARY SPEECHES. THEREUPON, DAHOMEY’S MOVE TO ADJOURN DEBATE WAS ADOPTED BY UNRECORDED VOTE OF 56-16 (US)-38. DAHOMEY MOTION, FROM WHICH ALMOST HALF MEMBERS PRESENT DISASSOCIATED THEMSELVES IN VOTE, HAD EFFECT OF DELIBERATELY PREVENTING FURTHER DISCUSSION, AND INTRODUCTION IN PLENARY, OF RESOLUTIONS IN WHICH THERE SUBSTANTIAL AND VARIED GROUP INTEREST.

4. STEAM ROLLER PSYCHOLOGY INTENSIFIED TO SUCH AN EXTENT AT END OF SESSION THAT SPOKESMEN FOR GROUP OF 77 SEEMED DETERMINED TO FORCE THE CREATION OF AN IMPRESSION OF UNANIMITY, EVEN THOUGH IT DID NOT EXIST, AND TO AVOID VOTING BY SUCH MEANS AS THREATENING TO WITHDRAW NEGOTIATED DOCUMENTS AND SUBMIT ORIGINAL G-77 WORKING PAPERS, AS WELL AS TELLING US THAT ANY REQUEST FOR A VOTE WOULD BE CHALLENGED AND G-77/NACG MAJORITY UTILIZED TO OPPOSE THE REQUEST. EFFORT TO CREATE FALSE IMPRESSION OF UNANIMITY IS PARTICULARLY TROUBLESOME WITH RESPECT TO A DOCUMENT THAT BEGINS “WE THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS...” AS DOES THE DECLARATION. SUCH A DOCUMENT SHOULD IN FACT BE AGREEABLE TO ALL MEMBERS, WHILE DECLARATION WAS NOT. FYI: IN FINAL ANALYSIS WHEN PLENARY TOOK UP TWO RESOLUTIONS FOR ADOPTION, WE DECIDED NOT TO REQUEST VOTING, GIVEN OVERALL SITUATION. END FYI. WE DID MAKE CLEAR THAT USG DID NOT BELIEVE CONSENSUS IN FACT EXISTED. ADDRESSEES IN THEIR APPROACHES SHOULD CITE EXAMPLE CONTAINED THIS PARA AS ILLUSTRATION OF HOW FAR STEAM ROLLER PSYCHOLOGY HAD TAKEN HOLD AND ONLY IF USE OF EXAMPLE WILL ASSIST IN PRESENTATION OF OUR CONCERNS. WE PARTICULARLY DESIRE WHEN THIS FACTOR IS DISCUSSED THAT NO IMPRESSION BE LEFT THAT WE WOULD HAVE REGARDED IT AS PROPER OR LEGAL PROCEDURE TO DENY REQUEST OF MEMBER FOR A VOTE. IN FACT, WE WOULD WISH DISCOURAGE ANY POSSIBLE BELIEF BY OTHERS THAT IT WOULD BE PRACTICAL POSSIBILITY TO DENY RIGHT TO HAVE VOTE ONCE IT IS REQUESTED. UN CHARTER, UNGA RULES OF PROCEDURE, AND PRECEDENT OF ASSEMBLY’S OPERATIONS, REQUIRES A VOTE WHEN REQUESTED.

5. STEAMROLLER TACTICS, ESPECIALLY USE OF MAJORITY TO PREVENT INTRODUCTION AND DISCUSSION OF RESOLUTIONS IN UN AS WELL AS TO DETER FINAL VOTE ON ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS, CONTRADICT REASON FOR EXISTENCE OF GA AND OTHER ASSEMBLIES IN UN SYSTEM AS DELIBERATIVE BODIES. THIS SHOULD BE SEEN AS ACUTE DANGER ESPECIALLY BY THOSE COUNTRIES, MOSTLY LDC’S, WHO REGARD UN AS MOST IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTION ON ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THEM. THIS EXPANDED USE OF AUTOMATIC MAJORITIES WILL, IF CONTINUED, SERIOUSLY JEOPARDIZE ROLE OF UN IN MOST IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL ISSUES. IT CAN ALSO HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES, WERE IT TO RESULT IN ALIENATING US PUBLIC OPINION FROM SUPPORT FOR UN AND AID TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

6. ACTION REQUESTED: UNLESS ACTION POSTS PERCEIVE IMPORTANT OBJECTIONS, THEY SHOULD EXPRESS OUR DEEP AND HIGH LEVEL CONCERNS NOTED ABOVE WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AT APPROPRIATELY HIGH LEVEL. EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON WHAT WE SEE AS SERIOUS RISK TO FUTURE EFFECTIVE WORK OF UN ORGANIZATION POSED BY TACTICS SUCH AS THOSE EMPLOYED AT SPECIAL SESSION. POSTS SHOULD POINT OUT THAT US IN EARLY DAYS OF UN DID NOT SEEK TO RESTRICT DEBATE ON ISSUES BEFORE UNGA, DESPITE STRONG MAJORITY IT COULD USUALLY MUSTER IN SUPPORT ITS POSITIONS. WE BELIEVE EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR SHOULD NOW BE EXPECTED FROM THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO COMMAND MAJORITY IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN INTERESTS OF ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE. POSTS MAY IN THEIR DISCRETION INDICATE WE WOULD WELCOME ANY COMMENTS HOST GOVERNMENTS MIGHT WISH TO MAKE ON THIS PROBLEM. PARIS, ROME, TOKYO, LONDON, BONN, STOCKHOLM, OTTAWA AND CANBERRA, IN PARTICULAR, SHOULD SEEK VIEWS OF HOST GOVERNMENTS ON STEPS WE MIGHT TAKE INDIVIDUALLY OR IN CONCERT TO HEAD OFF STEAMROLLER TACTICS AND TO FACILITATE MORE CONSTRUCTIVE LDC APPROACH IN FUTURE UN MEETINGS. WE MAY SUGGEST OTHER CAPITALS FOR APPROACHES LATER. RUSH
NOTE BY OC/T: POUCHED SUVA.

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential. Repeated to Beijing. Drafted by Washburn and Vunovic; cleared in D and by Stull, McDonald, Neidle, Searing, McNutt, Schwebel, Goott, Monsma, Walker, and Blake; and approved by Buffum. Telegram 99106 is published as Document 13.
2. The Department alerted posts to “steamroller tactics” employed by non-aligned countries at the United Nations and indicated that démarches should be made to governments indicating U.S. concerns.