A/PV.332 General Assembly

As you know, the General Assembly has been. convened in plenary meeting for the purpose of closmg the fifth session. 2. On behalf of the President of the Assembly, the Secretary-General addressed to ~he heads of ~e1~ga­ tions accredited to the fifth seSSIOn a commUnICatIOn, dated 11 October 1951, in which he asked for their opinion on the recommendations prepared by the Secretary-General and myself with regard to the place and date of the closing meeting of the present session. 3. Thirty-six Member States replied to that communication, and all have agreed that the meeting should be held in Paris. Examination of credentials

After consulting each of the members of the committee the Chairman of the Credentials Committee has ini~rmed me that the governments which had not transmitted credentials {or their representatives by the time the last report of the Credentials Committee was issued have since forwarded those credentials to the Secretary-General. Consequently, all the representatives accredited to the fifth session now have the necessary credentials. The letter from the Chairman of the Credentials Committee is reproduced in document A/1936. 5. As this matter does not call for any other decision by the General Assembly, I propose that the Assembly should take note of the report of the Chairman of the Credentials Committee. It was so decided. 747 A/PV.332· Monday, 5 NtOvemb.,r 1951, at!J PJR,. Palais de Ch,ailfot, Paris Question of the repres~ntation of China in the Unlted Nations

One of the items on the agenda of the fifth session on which the General Assembly has not yet reached a decision is the report of the Special Committee on the representation of China. 7. After the committee's last meeting, on 16 October 1951, its chairman informed me of the committee~5 decision. The committee's report to the General Assembly has been issued in document A/1923. As the 'committee has made no recommendation to the General Assembly, I propose that the Assembly should merely take note of the report. S. I call upon the representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to speak on this subject.

The importance of the question of the representation of China in the United Nations is well known. Consideration of this question has been inadmissibly delayed, and the Special Committee on the representation of China, established at the beginning of the fifth session of the General Assembly [resolution 490 (V)], has made no concrete recommendations. One cannot but express surprise at the fact that, by the end of the fifth session of the General Assembly, which incidentally has been an excessively long one, the committee has not found it possible to submit recommendations on such an important international problem. 10. In considering this question, it is essential to bear in mind that it is high time to put an end to the unjust attitude adopted by the United Nations towards the great Chinese people" an attitude which is the result of referred to the sixth session of the General Assembly . for consideration. 13. In view of the short time available for discussing the substance of the problem at today's meeting> and in view of its international importance, the deiegation of the Soviet Un10n submits the following draft resolution: uW'hereas the Special Committee on the representation of China in the United Nations has not adopted any recommendations regarding the representation of l..nina in the United Natiofis, uResolves to refer consideration of the question of the representation of China in the United Nations to the sixth session of the General Assembly." 14. In submitting this draft resolution, the USSR delegation hopes that those delegations wh~ch cherish international justice and the imple:"Hentation of the elementary principles of international law, those which desire to streng'~hen the United Nations and not to weaken it, and those which genuinely desire. inter- national peace and friendship, will support this pro- posal, so that the sixth session of the General A5sembiy may immediCl:tely consider the question of the representation of China in the United Nations. 15. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): You have heard the purport of the: USSR representa- tive's proposal. I do not have the text, but the meaning of the proposal is clear enough, and we can therefore discuss it. 16. Mr. TSIANG (China): The question raised by the repres~ntative of the Soviet Union has been raised here a number of times. There is nothing new in what he said to us a moment ago. The Chinese communist regime is the result of thirtj years of intrigue, infil- tration and intervention by international communism. There is nothing Chinese about this communist regime; it is not Chinese in origin; it is not Chinese in char- acter; and certainly, most important of all, it is not Chinese in its purpose. If the Soviet Union finds it necessary to add more "Votes to the Soviet bloc, it would be more in conformity with the facts if the UIDted Nations 'wer~ to admit the Republic of Georgia or the Republic of l{azakhstan. The purpose of his remarks would be more hqnest if that had been his motion. 18. The proposal of the Soviet Union is not in con- formity with the purposes of the United Nations. If c:i.rried, it will only serve to defeat the great purposes ror which we have come to meet in Paris.

The General Assembly has before it a ':"~port of the Special Committee on the representation of China. It is a unique committee and its report is unique among all those which have ever been submitted to the United Nations. The committee, as the repo.t't points out, and as many of you may remember, although it was established on 19 September 1950 [277th plent-.wy meeting], waited three months before meeting on 15 December, knowing very well that the main part of the Assembly was going to adjourn. After that meeting, which was very brief and which did not contribute anything new towards the solution of the problem, the committee adjourned practically sine die, because it m~t again only nine months afterwards to bring before us a report which did not solve anything. The committee did not study anything and it did not submit any proposals. The committee was appointed for the purpose of studying the problem of the representation of China. 20. Reading the history of· the committee, one must admit that the majority of the committee did everything in mJer that no serious study of this problem, which has so greatly disturbed the activities of the United Nations in the past year, should ever be undertaken. The committee did this in the face of its obvious duty. It refused to solve the problem which was so urgent and so essential for the work of thi~ Organi?rl ~ tion. China is still not represented in this Organizatio~Jl and, although during the past year we have been involved in many problems concerning Asia and the Far East, the most important nation in the Far East could not present its opinion and could not speak for the 475 million of its citizens. 21. It would seem that the committee of seven appointed over a year ago has had enough time to take up the question. Therefore to take note of such a report is a most unheard-of procedure. What does it mean when it says that we should take note of the fact that the matter is unsolved although the General Assembly has entrusted the matter to a group of seven people, of seven States, with the request that the matter should be studied and proposals brought forward? Since the matter has not been settled, then the fifth session of the General Assembly must now try to transfer the matter to the sixth session of the General Assembly and to recommend that a most serious study should be made of the problem. It is imIlossible to leave the question suspended in air because neither the Assembly nor the us(~d slander on this rostrum to continue ,his propaganda her~, to upset international relations and to make any settlement of the problem d.\fficult. It is time that the Gem'ral Assembly, instead 11f permitting those who have been expelled by the Clinese people to continue their propaganda, of hatred and war, should undertake a serious i3tudy of the matkr because, as I said, the matter deser\'es the most s~ious eonsideration. A solution of this problem and the appointment of a proper renresentative oil Chin~ here, the introduction of those who really represent China to their rightful place, will help the Assembly to solve many important ·questions. My ddegation therefore supports the proposal submitted by the representative of the USSR and calls upon this Assembly to recommend to the next session to undertake a study of this question. 23. Mr. TAUBER (Czechoslovakia) (translated from French): The Czechoslovak delegation has always, in the various organs of the United Nations, supported all proposals for the admission of the only legitimate government of China to membership of the Organization. That is why it cannot accept the conclusions set forth in the report of the Special Committee on the representation of China. 24. The Czechoslovak delegation supports the USSR delegation's proposal unreserv.edly. 25. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): Since there are no more speakers, the discussion on this proposal is closed. M-r. Cordier will read the draft resolution now before us. Mr. Cordier (Executive Assistant to the Secretary- General) read the USSR draft resolution. 26. The PRESIDENT (translated from F",ench) : I now put to the vote the draft resolution presented by the delegation of the Soviet Union. The USSR draft resolution was rejected by 20 votes to 11, with 11 abstentions. ' 27. Mr. MALIK (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (translated from Russian): The Soviet Union delegation reserves the right to revert to this question at the sixth session of the General Assembly and to submit an appropriate proposal. 28. Sir Gladwyn JEBB (United Kingdom): My delegation abstained in the vote on the draft resolution of th.e USSR because, while we clid not feel that it mattered very greatly if it were passed, we definitely feit that it was otiose. Actually, whether we here at this last m~ting of the fifth session of the General Closing of the fifth session of the General Assembly . 34. Mr. 1VIUNIZ (Brazil) (translated from French) : The Brazilian delegation is confident that it expresses the general feeling of the Assembly in thanking and congratulating its President, Mr. Entezam, on the remarkable way in which he has conducted the difficult proceedings of the Assembly's fifth session. 35. Our President has brought to the fulfilment of his task the results of 'his lengthy experience of international affairs; for a long time, indeed, he took part in the work vf the League of Nations. He has also displayed a profound knowledge of modern problems, incomparable tact, and perfect courtesy. It is not too much to say that a g...eat part of the results we have obtained are due to his personal contribution and to t~~ manner in which he has succeeded in facing the inn roerable difficulties encountered ~n the course of our work. For that we owe him our gratitude; he might well be called the good genius of the fifth session j of the General Assembly. 36. Sir Gladwyn JEBB (United Kingdom) : I should like, if I may, to join with my Brazilian colleague in offering the President our sincerest congratulations on his brilliant handling of our business in this Assembly during the last year. At a time when, as we all know, the government which I represent has been forced to ventilate in tb..e United Nations a serious ~ifierence of opinion with the Iranian Government, I find it a matter .. of particular satisfaction that I 'can place on record its .~ deep appreciation of Mr. Entezam's personal qualities I La Fayette, Rochambeau, De Grasse - what names to arouse the gratitude of the citizens of the great country that I come {rom! So we come to you with many feelings, and we want to say "thank you" for all that you have done foJ' us already, and for all that we" know you intend to do fo.r us in the future. 38. This fifth session of the General Assembly has been a remarkable one. It has accomplished under' a unique leadership great milestones in history, in the progress towards the establishment of conditions for security and peace in the world. I must admit that we have had many differences among us in making these milestones of progress, but I believe that, in spite of the disunity that may have existed at times over the great controversial questions with which we have' ...0 deal in a General Assembly, I may safely assume Lhat in one respect the fifth session of the General Assembly is united, and that is in praise of the leadership that it has had through the President, President Entezam. "'le all recognize the superiority of his knowledge of parliamentary law. We have all appreciated greatly his sense of justice, and his wit, facility ~md ease, and I must say his most beautiful, complimentary manner of jealing with us in ruling against us. It was like handing out a rose when he ruled against us. So, on the part of the delegation of the United States, I wish to thank the President, and I wish him good health and long life and still great~r opportunities to serve mankind. 39. Genenl ROMULO (Philippines) : We are bringing to a close in an unprecedented manner a regular session of the General Assembly that is itself without ~r~~,=d~nt in the history of our Organization. For the first time, the General As~embly has been technically in session for one whole year, actually, by the calendar, for a period of thirteen and a aalf months. Ivlore cu~'ious si:i11 is the fact that the session which opened in New 44. As the representative of a neighbouring country, my delegation ha.s particular pleasure in felicitating the President on the very able and successful discharge of his duties as the Presid~nt of the fifth session of the General Assembly. In Mr. Entezam, this Assembly has had one of its most distinguished presidents. He has been able to guide the deliberations of the Assembly with great tact and firmness, and his great courtesy ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT 50. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): Gentlemen - or, may I say, my dear colleagues - as the sixth session of the General Assembly will open in less than twenty-four hours, there is no need for me to make a closing speech. Let me therefore merely discharge my debts of gratitude. 51. I have been deeply touched by the kind words and unmerited praises which many delegations have addressed to me. First and foremost I wish to thatLk you for your whole-hearted support during this long and arduous session. You will remember that at the time I was elected I made a promise and also an appeal. I promised that I would preside over your debates with complete impartiality. It is for you to judge whether I have kept that promise. Then, I asked for your full support, and, on that point, I can assure you that not only have you responded to my appeal) but you have gone even further than I had hoped. Not once, even at th~ most critical moment, did you hesitate to support the decisions that, as President, I had to take. I shall always remember this mark of your confidence in me. 52. I should like, next, on your behalf and mine, to thank the Secretary-General and his distinguished colleagues. Every president has expressed the pleasure Printed in U.S.A. ADDRESS BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

Now that the fifth session of the General Assembly is drawing to a close, I have the pleasant duty, on behalf of the Secretariat and myself; of paying tribute to your President, who is our President as well, and thanking him for the kind words in which he has referred to Mr. Cordier, his assistants and myself. 56. No General Assembly in the short history of the United Nations has remained in being for so long a stretch of time or been faced with such complicated tasks. I can say, in all truth, and basing myself on our almost daily contact, that the President has stood the test witil smiling energy. Everyone was aware of the high qualities of Mr. Entezam as a diplomat and a stateman, but it was not generally known that he possessed the science and art Glf chairmanship in such high measure. His deep knowledge of 0the General Assembly's rules of procedure, his mastery and impartiality in the application of those rules, have won for him - and I say it with pleasure - the respectful admiration of all members of the Secretariat. 57. Now that he is relinquishing his duties, I wish to offer him, as a slight testimony of our gratitude and as a momento, the gavel which he has so happily wielded while presiding over the discussions of the fifth session . of the General Assembly. 58. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): Before declaring the fifth session of the General Assembly closed I will ask all members to observe a minute's silence of prayer or meditation. The representatives stood in silence. 59. The PRESIDENT (translated from French): I declare the fifth session of the General Ass~bly of the United Nations closed. A-40464-December 1951-3,600