A/PV.320 General Assembly

We shall now consider the first item on our agenda, but before doing so I should like to inform the Assembly that I do not intend to call upon every rapporteur to submit his report, unless he so requests. Generally speaking, such reports are self-explanatory. 14. I put to the vote the draft re~olution contained in the report of the Fourth Committee [A/1642]. The draft resolution was adopted by 45 'Votes to 5, 'lJJith 1 abstention. 15. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): I call upon the representative of the Soviet Union, who wishes to explain his vote. 16. Mr. SOLDATOV (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (translated from Russian): Both in the Fourth Committee and in the General Assembly the USSR delegation opposed and voted against the draft resolution which provided that the consideration of the question of administrative unions should be postponed until the sixth session of the General Assembly. 17. The question of administrative unions is one of the important questions of the whole International Trusteeship System. The discussion of it in the Trusteeship Council and the Fourth Committee duringthe past few years has shown that a number of Administering Authorities-the United King-dom, Belgium, Australia and SOlne others-are pursuing in the Trust Territories under their administration a policy designed to deprive those Territories of their special status and to effect their annexation, by uniting them with their adjacent colonies in the form of so-called "administrative unions". 18. This policy is intended to consolidate the colonial r.egime in the Trust Territories and is contrary to the Charter, Article 76 b of which requires the promotion of the "political, economic, social and educational advancement of the inhabitants of the Trust Territories, and their progressive development towards self-government or independence". 20. As we mow, both in the General Assembly and in the Trusteeship Council, the USSR delegation has proposed the adoption of a recommendation to the Administering Authorities to put an end to annexation of Trust Territories by way of "administrative unions", to establish in the Trust Territories legislative and executive organs which would not be subordinate to any organs established as a result of the unification of such Territories with adjacent colonies, and to that end to take the necessary legislative and other measures to secure the participation of the indigenous population in the legislative, executive and judicial organs. 21. Because of the opposition of the Administering Authorities, however, the proposals of the Soviet Union have not so far been adopted. Neither the Trusteeship Council nor the General Assembly has as yet taken the necessary measures to ensure strk~ compliance by the Administering Authorities with the United Nations Charter and with the General Assembly decisions on the subject of administrative unions. 22.' In view of this, the USSR delegation pressed for a discussion of the question of administrative unions at the current session of the General Assembly and for the adoption of the necessary decisions to secure the accomplishment of the purposes of the Intemational Trusteeship System as set forth in the United Nations Charter. For the same reason, it voted against the proposal for deferring the consideration of this question until the sixth session of the General Assembly. Information from Non-SeH-GovernIDg Territories: report of the Fourth, Committee (A/16S8) [Agenda item 34]

I am going to put to the vote, in tum, the draft resolu~ tions a~ring in the report of the Fourth Committee [A/1638].

A roll-call vote has been requested on draft resolution Ill. A vote was taken by roll-call. The United Kingdom, hafJing been drawn by lot by the President, was called upon 10 flot, first. India, ha'fJing been drawn by lot by the P.-_sid8flf, was called upon to vote first. . In favour: Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Mexico, Nicar~ '~, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Union of South Africa, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yemen, Afghanistan, Argentina, Brazil, Bye10russian Soviet Socialist Republic, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti. Against: India, Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northem Ireland, United States of lunerica, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Detl1t1ark, France. Abstaining: Indonesia, Liberia, Paraguay, Peru, Yugoslavia, Bolivia, Burma, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Honduras, Iceland. Postponement of the vote on the question of South West Mriea

Some delegations have expressed a desire tfutt the vote on the third item on our agenda should be postponed until this aftemoon's meeting. Since an amendment has been submitted, it is proper that the members of the Assembly should have time to consider it. 27. If there is no objection, the question of South West Africa will. be put to the vote this afternoon. I shall ask the Assembly to decide that point. . It was decided, by 35 flotesto none', with 14 ab".. lions, to postpone the flote. . Designation of non-member States to which a certified copy of the Revised General Act for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes shall he communicated by the Secretary-General for the purpose of accession to this act: report of the Sixth Committee (A/1633) [Agenda item 51] 29. The PRESIDENT (translated from French) : I put to the vote the draft resolution contained in the report of the Sixth Committee [A/1633]. The draft resolution was adopted by 45 votes to] tlone~ with 3 abstentions. Regulations to give eRect to article ID, section 8, of the Headquarters Agreement between the Uaited Nations and the United States of America: report of the Sixth Committee (A/IMl) [Agenda item 55] 30. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): I put to the vote the draft resolution contained in the report of the Sixth Committee [A/1641]. The draft resolution was adopted by 47 votes to none. Repstration and publication of treaties and international agreements: reports of the Sixth Committee (A/1626) and the Fifth Committee (A/1663) [Agenda item 54] 31. The PRESIDENT (translated from French) : I put to the vote the draft resolution contained in the report of the Sbr.th Committee [A/1626]. The draft resolution was adopted by 50 votes to none. Provision of a United Nations distinguishing ribbOD or other insignia for personnel participating in Korea in the defence of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations: reports of the Sixth Committee (Aj1631) and the Fifth Committee (A/1664) [Agenda item 74] 32. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): I put to the vote the draft resolution contained in the report of the Sixth Committee [A/163.1]. :2 See document 5/1588. I See document S/1596/Rev.l. 41. In these circumstances, the adoption of the draft resolution submitted by the Sixth Committee represents another violation of the Charter and may lead to a further decline in the authority of the United Nations in the eyes of millions of ordinary people throughout the world. 42. For :hese reasons, the USSR delegation voted against that resolution.

My delegation voted against the resolution for reasons which I shall explain. 44. First, the majority in the Sixth Committee failed to establish the right of the United Nations to create any sort of decorations, ribbons or otherwise, and to bestow them upon military or civilian personnel allegedly in the service of the United Nations." There is not a single word in the Charter in support of the opinion expressed by the majority in the Committee. References to Article 10 and Article 11, paragraph 4, are entirely irrelevant to the item under consideration. The allegec! precedent of the seal and the flag of the United Nations is far from convincing. Efforts to involve the authority of the Int~mationalCourt of Justice must be discarded. The Intemational Court of Justice stated only that the United Nations had the powers necessary for the performance of its dutieslS and to propose that decorations are necessary for the performance of the duties of our Organization is too far-fetched as well as undignified. My delegation maintains that the right to bestow decorations belongs only to States and governments. 45. Secondly, my delegation continues to believe that in spite of arguments to the contrary, the intervention in Korea was and is illegal. Th~ so-called resolutions of 25 June, 27 June and 7 July 19501l were illegally adopted by several members of the Security Council in flagrant violation of the Charter and with the sole purpose of masking the armed intervention of the United States Government in Korea. It would therefore be immoral, in the opinion of my delegation, to reward those who knowingly or unknowingly were and are the instrulJlents of aggression. 46. Thirdly, those engaged in the ranks of the forces of the aggressors and those who have helped the aggressors are directly or indirectly responsible for atrocities in the form of the inhuman bombing of civilian populations and of towns and viIIages, and of rape and arson. To reward those people or their assistants for such barbarous acts would be a form of approval of such acts, whit:h are revolting to every fair-minded human being. Sixth Committee, 247tl, meeting. IS See Reparation fo, injuries suffered in the service of the United Nations, Advisory OpinIon: I.C.I. Rel'G7ts 1949, page 174. would be a reward to those who are waging war on a foreign territory against those who are fighting on their own soil for their native land and who are helping to repel aggression. The troops of the aggressors in Korea are not soldiers of the United Nations, for they have not been sent in accordance with Article 4:~ of the Charter. 49. Lastly, the adoption of the resolution gives the impression that certam individuals are to be rewarded for their political beliefs or the beliefs of those who ordered them to participate in the intervention. 50. For the above reasons the Polish delegation voted against the resolution. Its adoption was, in our estimation, illegal, immoral, uncalled for and untimely and, furthermore, in the opinion of my delegation, will bring discredit upon the Organization. 51. Mr. NOSEK (Czechoslovakia): The Czechoslovak delegation voted against the draft resolution submitted to the General Assembly by the Sixth Committee. By its'stand, the Czechoslovak delegation has r~ peatedly-ever since the opening of discussions in the General Assembly - demonstrated its opposition, on grounds of principle, to the Philippine proposal that a United Natlons distinguishing ribbon or other insignia should be provided for persons who have participated in the events in Korea. 52. The representatives of Czechoslovakia, in the General Assembly [294th meeting], and in the Sixth Committee, and in the Fifth Committee'l submitted for consideration by the members of those bodies serious objections to the Philippine proposal and thoroughly explained their vote against it. The Czechoslovak representatives stressed the fact that the Philippine proposal was based on illegal resolutions of the Security Council which were nothing but an attempt to disguise United States aggression in Korea and to conceal United States imperialistic aims in the Far East. Further, the Czechoslovak representatives stated that the Philippine proposal was an obvious violation of the Charter, since It would confer upon the Secretary-Gen~ eral powers far exceeding those conferred upon him by the Charter. 53. The text just adopted by the General Assembly was approved by the Sixth Committee on 30 November 1950, Just a few days after hundreds of millions of peace-loving peoples all over the world had enthusiastically welcomed the manifesto of the Second World Congress of the Partisans of Peace and its message to the '1 See Official Reco'rds of the Gtneral Assembly, Fifth Ses- $;'0", Fifth Committee, 278th meeting. "Since all decent men, irrespective of their political beliefs, regard the ruthl~ss mass extermination of the civil population of Korea as 9. crime against mankind, we ask that an authoritative international commission should be called upon to investig~tethe crimes which have been committed in the Korean war and, in particular, the question of General MacArthur's responsibility." 54. Allow me also to quote a few sentences from the speech delivered to the Second World Congress of the Partisans of Peace in Warsaw by the Korean woman delegate Pal<: Den-ai: "American aggressors who have suffered defeat after defeat ha.ve indulged in barbarous reprisals P.4gainst the Korean people and in criminal methods of war-making. Under the United Nations flag the American aggressors launched their barbarous and terroristic air raids during which the helpless and innocent inhabitants of Korean cities and villages) have been massacred. The American Air Force detroyed entire living quarters; American bombs poured upon thousands of Korean women and children, destroyed schools, theatres and cultural institutions. American airplanes malevolently bombed Korean villages and hospital trains. American fliers strafed and bombed Korean peasants working on fields." 55. I should like to ask the President a question, if I may. Can there be a greater argument against the resolution than this shattering testimony of the Korean representative? I ask the Assembly how it is possible to vote in favour of a resolution which provides for the confelnngof distinguishing ribbons or other insignia on those who have committed the inhuman crimes described by an eye-witness of the Korean people to the World Peace Congress? 56. The resolution which has been adopted is directed against hundreds of millions of peace-loving people all over the world and against the Charter of the United Nations. For this reason, my delegation voted against it. 57. Mr. COHEN (United States of America) : I wish briefly to explain th~ reasons why the United States voted for this resolution. 58. Forces not only of the United States but of many other nations are fighting together in Korea under the United Nations flag to support the rule of law in the world. The very least we can do to show our appreciation of their deeds of valour and of their sacrifices is to authorize the granting to them of the insignia of the United Nations. It is the only war we can show our appreciation of those who are wi111Dg to fight and die ~or the United Nations. 59. If we want peace in this world, we must show our willingness to supp<>rt and to show our appreciation of those who are willing to die in order to support the rule of law in the world. Without law, there can be no peac~. !f we want peace and if we are citing all the socaned peace conferences which are being held through- Ot~t the world, let us show our willingtless to support the law and the Charter of the United Nations. [Agenda item 52] 60. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): I am going to put to the vote the draft resolutions contained in the report of the Sixth Committee [A/1639] .. Bell0rt of the Economic and Social CouueU (chapters D, m and IV): report of the- Second Committee (A/1625) [Agenda item 12]

I put to the vote the recommendation which appears in· f aragraph 4 of the report of the Second Committee A/1625]. The ~ecommenda#on was adopted by 44 'Votes tonone, wdh 5 abstentions. cll for reason~ which I shall proceed to e.xplain. 64. In connex.i.on with the consideration by the Gen- -eral Assembly of the Economic and Social Council's report for the period 16 August 1949 to 16 August 1950, tpe delegation of the Soviet Union wishes to state that the Economic and Social Council was not empowered to take decisions with the participation of the Kuomintang representative, who does not represent China, and in the absence of the representatives of four members of the Council-the USSR, China, Poland and Czechoslovakia. Such decisions of the Council, taken in violation of the United Nation~ Charter, are illegal. -65. I would ask the President to take this statement as applying to the whole report of the Economic and Social Council. As the President is aware, di'fferent -chapters of this report were examined by different Committees, and these Committees are presenting the results of their deliberations separately for the consideration of the General Assembly. In the end, a single resolution will be adopted on the Economic and Social .~ Council's report. We declare that we shall abstain from voting on that occasion. In that connexion, we request that the statement we have just made should be recorded as applying to the whole report of the Economic and Social CouncU. 66. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): The statement of the rc:presentative of the Soviet Union will of course appear in the verbatim record. Moreover, the report of the Second Committee already mentions, in paragraph 5, the attitude adopted by the USSR delegation and specifies the other delegations which have adopted a similar attitude. Action to achieve and maintain full employment and economic stability: rep9rts of the Second CoDllDittee (A/1627) and the Fifth Committee (Ajl666) [Agenda item 27] 67. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): I put to the vote the draft resolutions contained in the report of the Second Committee [A/1627]. Postponement of tine discussion on international control of atomic energy

I propose that the Assembly should not now embark upon'a discussion of the twelfth item of our agenda, namely, international control of atomic energy. It is a very important question, and the members of the First Committee wish to be present during the discussion. 69. I therefore propose that the Assembly should postpone its discussion of this item and should pass on to the thirteenth item of the agenda for this meeting. It was so decided. United Nations telecommunications system: report of the Fifth Committee (A/1635) [Agenda item 47]

I put the draft resolution contained ifl the report of the Fifth Committee [A/1635] to the vote. Headquarters of the United Nations: repOh of the Fifth Committee (Aj163-i) [Agenda item 36]

I put the draft resolution contained in the report of the Fifth Committee [A/1634] to the vote. The meeting rose at 12.25 p.ffl.