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

97. Telegram 277310 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Kenya, November 11, 1976, 0126Z.¹ ²

November 11, 1976, 0126Z

TELEGRAM
Department of State
277310

O R 110126Z NOV 76

FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY NAIROBI IMMEDIATE
INFO AMEMBASSY PARIS

STATE 277310

NESCO
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: AORG, OCON, SF, UNESCO

SUBJECT: UNESCO 19TH GENERAL CONFERENCE: AGENDA ITEM 9 IMPLEMENTATION OF 18TH GENERAL CONFERENCE RESOLUTION 11.1

1. PROBLEM: A SENEGALESE DRAFT RESOLUTION, APPROVED BY 100TH EXECUTIVE BOARD, RECOMMENDS THAT THE 19TH GENERAL CONFERENCE “TAKE ALL NECESSARY MEASURES WITH A VIEW TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM ACTIVITIES AND MEETINGS OF IOC UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE AUTHORITIES OF THAT COUNTRY PUT A STOP TO THEIR POLICY OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION.” THIS RESOLUTION WILL PROBABLY COME UP UNDER AGENDA ITEM 9.

2. POSITION:

A) USDEL SHOULD OPPOSE ANY INITIATIVES OR PROPOSALS FOR ACTION BY THE CONFERENCE THAT EMANATE FROM THIS RESOLUTION, OR OTHERS WITH THE SAME INTENT, THAT SEEK TO EXCLUDE SOUTH AFRICA FROM THE ACTIVITIES AND MEETINGS OF IOC OR OTHER INTERNATIONAL BODIES RELATED TO UNESCO.

B) USDEL MAY EXPLAIN THAT ALTHOUGH THE USA ABHORS THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICY OF APARTHEID AND HAS CONSISTENTLY SO STATED, THE USA REGARDS THE EXCLUSION OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM THE IOC AS ILLEGAL, IN DENYING THE RIGHT OF PARTICIPATION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF MEMBERSHIP, AND CONTRARY TO THE PRINCIPLE OF UNIVERSALITY. EXCLUSION OR SUSPENSION WOULD GIVE IMPETUS TO THE INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS TREND OF POLITICIZING THE UN SPECIALIZED AGENCIES AND THEIR SUBSIDIARY BODIES, TO THE CONSIDERABLE DETRIMENT OF THE TECHNICAL WORK OF SUCH ORGANIZATION. THEREFORE, THE USA WILL CONTINUE TO OPPOSE THE EXCLUSION OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM THE IOC.

C) USDEL MAY CALL ATTENTION TO RECENT STATEMENTS MADE BY SECRETARY KISSINGER ON APARTHEID AND POINT OUT THAT THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN STRENUOUS EFFORTS TO PROMOTE MOVEMENT ON PROBLEMS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (NAMIBIA, RHODESIA).

3. DISCUSSION:

A) THE 100TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ADOPTED A RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING THAT THE 19TH GENERAL CONFERENCE “TAKE ALL NECESSARY MEASURES WITH A VIEW TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA FROM ACTIVITIES AND MEETINGS OF THE IOC UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE AUTHORITIES OF THAT COUNTRY PUT A STOP TO THEIR POLICY OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION.” THIS RECOMMENDATION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE GENERAL CONFERENCE UNDER AGENDA ITEM 9 CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION 18 C/11.1, WHICH ASKED MEMBER STATES TO EXCLUDE SOUTH AFRICA FROM ALL UNESCO RELATED ACTIVITIES, SINCE THE EXECUTIVE BOARD’S RECOMMENDATION REFERS TO THAT RESOLUTION.

B) THE U.S. OPPOSED THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 18 C/11.1 ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT INCREASED THE POLITICIZATION OF THE SPECIALIZED AGENCIES. WE WILL OPPOSE ANY ATTEMPTS TO EXCLUDE SOUTH AFRICA FROM THE IOC ON THE GROUNDS THAT INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD APPLY THE PRINCIPLE OF UNIVERSALITY OF MEMBERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION AND NOT DENY MEMBERSHIP OR PARTICIPATION ON POLITICAL GROUNDS.

C) AT THE 9TH SESSION OF THE IOC ASSEMBLY, THE AFRICANS INSCRIBED A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE GENERAL CONFERENCE TO EXCLUDE SOUTH AFRICA FROM THE IOC UNDER THE LAST AGENDA ITEM DEALING WITH THE DATE AND PLACE OF THE NEXT ASSEMBLY. DISCUSSION ON PROCEDURAL ASPECTS OF THIS RESOLUTION DELAYED ITS CONSIDERATION UNTIL THE TIME SCHEDULED FOR THE MEETING TO END, AT WHICH TIME THE CHAIRMAN GAVELED THE FINAL MEETING TO A CLOSE, TO THE FURY OF THE AFRICAN DELEGATION. THE CHAIRMAN’S ACTION IN ENDING THE MEETING WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PROTESTED BY A GROUP OF COUNTRIES. THE 7TH IOC EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (JUNE 1976) AGREED THAT THE NEXT ASSEMBLY WILL BE HELD IN PARIS IN NOVEMBER 1977. THERE WAS NO FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN QUESTION.

D) DEPT. WILL APPRECIATE US DEL’S REPORT CONVEYING EXACT WORDING OF RESOLUTION AND VOTE ON THIS TOPIC. KISSINGER

1. 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.
2. The Department forwarded instructions to oppose any attempt to exclude the Republic of South Africa from the International Oceanographic Commission.