99. Telegram 5338 From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State, November 16, 1976, 0258Z.1 2
TELEGRAM
Department of State
USUN 5338
O R 160258Z NOV 76
FM USMISSION USUN NY
TO SECSTATE
WASHDC IMMEDIATE 787
INFO AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
AMEMBASSY
BUCHAREST
AMEMBASSY COTONOU
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY PANAMA
AMEMBASSY PARIS
IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
AMEMBASSY
TOKYO
AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
USLO PEKING
USMISSION NATO
USUN 5338
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: PFOR, PORG, UNSC, VN
SUBJECT: UNSC COMPLETES CONSIDERATION OF VIETNAM’S MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
REF: USUN 5297
1. ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, UN SECURITY COUNCIL (UNSC) COMPLETED ITS CONSIDERATION OF VIETNAM’S MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION. THE UNITED STATES VETOED BECAUSE OF SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THE WILLINGNESS OF VIETNAM TO CARRY OUT THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE U.N. CHARTER. SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE VIETNAM HAD FAILED SO FAR TO MANIFEST SATISFACTORY HUMANITARIAN OR PRACTICAL CONCERN REGARDING AMERICAN SERVICEMEN MISSING IN ACTION. THE VOTE WAS 14 - 1 (US) -0. GOVERNOR SCRANTON’S EXPLANATION OF VOTE SENT SEPTEL TO ADDRESSEES.
2. DURING A.M. MEETING OF UNSC NOVEMBER 15, SPEAKERS INCLUDED POLAND, SOUTH YEMEN, GUYANA, SYRIA, BULGARIA, BENIN, CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND MADAGASCAR. IN P.M. SPEAKERS IN UNSC GENERAL DEBATE WERE: MEXICO, BYELORUSSIA, LIBYA, SWEDEN, FRANCE, JAPAN, ITALY, INDIA AND MALI. ALL SUPPORTED VIETNAM’S CANDIDACY. IN ADDITION TO U.S., LIBYA, TANZANIA, BENIN AND CHINA EXPLAINED THEIR VOTES AFTER THE VOTE. THE USSR EXERCISED RIGHT OF REPLY TO RESPOND TO OUR EXPLANATION OF VOTE WHICH HAD TAKEN DUE NOTE OF 51 SOVIET VETOES OF MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS. THE USSR (AMBASSADOR KHARLAMOV) TOOK A FAMILIAR LINE OF DEFENSE BY CLAIMING THAT THE SOVIET VETOES HAD COME DURING ANOTHER UN ERA, BUT THAT CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE U.N. WERE MUCH DIFFERENT NOW.
3. COMMENT: IN ADDITION TO PRAISING VIETNAMESE VIRTUES AND CRITICIZING OUR USE OF THE VETO, COMMUNIST AND NON-ALIGNED SPEAKERS CONTINUED TO CLAIM THAT WE WERE CONFUSING A BILATERAL ISSUE WITH A MULTILATERAL ONE BY CONNECTING THE MIA QUESTION TO VIETNAM’S MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION.
4. VIETNAM, IN THANKING 14 UNSC MEMBERS FOR VOTING IN ITS FAVOR, SAID IT HOPED FOR FUTURE SUPPORT OF MANY UN MEMBERS IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THIS WOULD APPEAR TO UNDERLINE THE PROBABILITY THAT ISSUE OF VIETNAM’S MEMBERSHIP AGAIN WILL BE RAISED IN PLENARY AS IT WAS IN 1975.
5. DURING P.M., UK MISSION GOT INSTRUCTIONS CANCELLING PREVIOUS ONES TO SPEAK IN UNSC GENERAL DEBATE IN FAVOR OF VIETNAM’S MEMBERSHIP. THUS, THE UK BECAME THE ONLY UNSC MEMBER NOT TO SPEAK DURING THE TWO DAYS OF DEBATE.
6. THE FRENCH CALLED US BEFORE THE MEETING TO SAY THEY WOULD SPEAK
AGAINST OUR USE OF VETO.
SCRANTON
- 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.↩
- 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.↩