60. Telegram 230211 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic Posts, November 22, 1973, 0022Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
230211
R 220022Z NOV 73
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC POSTS
AMEMBASSY BANJUL BY
POUCH
AMEMBASSY SUVA BY POUCH
XMT AMEMBASSY SAIGON
AMEMBASSY
TAIPEI
AMEMBASSY BERN
USMISSION OECD PARIS
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
STATE 230211
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR, UN, KN, KS
SUBJECT: KOREA IN THE UN -- SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME
1. GA FIRST COMMITTEE NOV 21 ACCEPTED CONSENSUS STATEMENT WORKED OUT BEHIND THE SCENES BY THE CO-SPONSORS OF THE TWO COMPETING RESOLUTIONS. WE REGARD THE CONSENSUS STATEMENT AS A CLEAR SUCCESS OF OUR DIPLOMACY, AND WISH TO THANK ALL POSTS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OUTCOME. OUR COSPONSORS, NOTABLY THE ROK, ARE EQUALLY DELIGHTED. (FRONTRUNNERS IN WORKING OUT THE COMPROMISE WERE THE NETHERLANDS, WHO RECEIVED PUBLIC THANKS FROM CO-SPONSORS.)
2. CONSENSUS AS ANNOUNCED BY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AT REQUEST OF BOTH SIDES HAD THESE ELEMENTS: (A) NEITHER RES WILL BE PUT TO VOTE; (B) ENDORSEMENT OF NORTH-SOUTH COMMUNIQUE PRINCIPLES FOR REUNIFICATION; AND (C) DISSOLUTION OF UNCURK. THERE IS THUS NOTHING ABOUT THE UN COMMAND OR ABOUT FOREIGN TROOPS, AND UNDISTURBED ATMOSPHERE CREATES BETTER CONDITIONS FOR FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS. WHILE THERE WERE FIERY SPEECHES DURING THE DEBATE, CONSENSUS HAS-AVOIDED BRUISING CONFRONTATION IN WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLICATED PROCEDURAL VOTES.
3. IN EXPRESSING OUR THANKS TO HOST GOVERNMENTS WHERE APPROPRIATE, YOU SHOULD STRESS WHAT WE REGARD AS CENTRAL LESSON FROM THIS EXERCISE -- THAT IF DELEGATIONS WILL BAND TOGETHER FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND REASONABLE, OFTEN THERE NEED BE NO VOTING BECAUSE THE OTHER SIDE WILL FIND IT TO ITS ADVANTAGE TO COMPROMISE. (IN A DIFFERENT BUT ANALOGOUS SITUATION, THAT OF INVITING THE PRG TO THE LOS CONFERENCE, THE OTHER SIDE DID NOT PRESS THE ISSUE TO A VOTE BECAUSE THEY KNEW THEY WOULD BE DEFEATED. THERE MAY BE LESSON IN THIS ALSO FOR THE CAMBODIAN ITEM, WHICH IS YET TO COME UP AND ON WHICH VOTE MIGHT BE SIMILARLY AVOIDED IF ENOUGH COUNTRIES WILL LINE UP AGAINST UN INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIR OF MEMBER COUNTRY.)
4. SINCE WE WERE FOR A TIME ALMOST NECK-AND-NECK WITH THE OTHER SIDE ON THE KOREAN ISSUE, YOU SHOULD KNOW (AND WHERE APPROPRIATE INFORM HOST GOVT) THAT IN RECENT WEEKS WE HAD MADE STEADY PROGRESS SO THAT WE HAD SUBSTANTIAL MARGIN IN FAVOR OF OUR RESOLUTION. (FYI. WE DID NOT HOWEVER HAVE TWO-THIRDS WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN NECESSARY. END FYI.) KNOWLEDGE OF OUR STRENGTHENED VOTING POSITION WAS UNDOUBTEDLY MAJOR FACTOR IN OPPOSITION’S WILLINGNESS TO REACH A REASONABLE COMPROMISE.
5. MOREOVER, RECENT EFFORTS BY THIRD PARTIES (E.G., TUNISIA, INDIA, SAUDI ARABIA) TO PREPARE COMPROMISE RESOLUTIONS HAD RECEIVED SOME SUPPORT AND COMPLICATED PARLIAMENTARY SITUATION. SOUTH KOREANS THEREFORE SUGGESTED AND FRIENDLY CO-SPONSORS CONCURRED THAT POSSIBILITY OF COMPROMISE, WHICH SAFEGUARDED ROK VITAL SECURITY INTERESTS, BE EXPLORED. RESULT WAS CONSENSUS STATEMENT WHICH LAID THE ISSUE TO REST IN THIS GA AND THUS DID NOT DISTURB ATMOSPHERE NECESSARY FOR WORKING OF QUIET DIPLOMACY. KISSINGER
NOTE BY OC/T: POUCHED BANJUL, SUVA.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential. Drafted by Schaller and Herz; cleared by McNutt, Walker, Monsma, Stearns, Schiff, Ranard, and Stull; and approved by Herz. Repeated to the Mission to the OECD in Paris.↩
- The Department reported success in managing issues related to Korean representation and defense at the 28th United Nations General Assembly.↩