Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XIII, Conflict in the South Atlantic, 1981–1984

185. Message From British Foreign Secretary Pym to Secretary of State Haig¹

London, April 28, 1982

Begins:

Nicko Henderson has told me of the terms of the Resolution adopted by the OAS earlier this morning.² I am most grateful for all your efforts, as well as those of other friendly countries in the region, to head off a result which would further exacerbate the situation and complicate your own peace efforts, which we continue to regard as vital. The difficulties of your position in the OAS are fully appreciated here and we are therefore doubly appreciative of your forthright intervention and your abstention in the vote.³ However, you will understand that the Resolution is not acceptable to us. We cannot forego our undoubted rights of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter as the Resolution suggests we should.

The OAS Resolution is to be conveyed to the President of the Security Council. Argentina may additionally seek an early debate in the Council and the adoption of a Resolution on similar lines. We have so far been successful in keeping the issue out of the Council since the adoption of SCR 502. This has in our view been important in helping your efforts and maintaining maximum pressure on the Argentines. We therefore continue to hope that the Council will stand fast on 502. We will be working hard to achieve this, I hope with your help. If the Council nevertheless meets again, I hope I can count on the United States to work closely with us, both in New York and in Security Council capitals, to head off support for any unhelpful and unacceptable Resolution. If we failed you know that we might have to use our veto. We would of course look for support from you in that event.

Ends.

1. Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, Files of Alexander M. Haig, Jr., 1981–1982, Lot 82D370, (2) Falklands Crisis—1982. UK Confidential. Henderson sent the message to Haig under an April 28 covering note.
2. On April 28, in Resolution I, “Serious Situation in the South Atlantic,” the Twentieth Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OAS resolved to “urge” the British Government “to cease the hostilities it is carrying on within the security region defined by Article 4” of the Rio Treaty and “to refrain from any act that may affect inter-American peace and security,” to urge the Argentine Government to “refrain from any action that may exacerbate the situation,” to urge both governments to call a truce, to “express the willingness of the Organ of Consultation to lend support through whatever means it considers advisable” to new initiatives directed for “the just and peaceful settlement of the problem,” to “take note” of the information received about Haig’s negotiations and to “express its wishes that they will be an effective contribution to the settlement” of the conflict, to “deplore” the European Economic Community’s “coercive measures of an economic and political nature” directed at Argentina, and to present this appeal to the British and Argentine Governments as well as the Chairman of the UN Security Council. The full text of this resolution is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, June 1982, pp. 86–87.
3. Explaining the U.S. abstention, Thompson stated that the “United States is not in a position to express views on many of the issues addressed by the resolution and, therefore, has abstained.” He ended his statement by reaffirming “the fervent hope, shared by each of us, that all the actions of this distinguished body will truly facilitate peace.” (Ibid., p. 87)