S/PV.1832 Security Council

It is with gratitude and admiration that, in my capacity as President of the Security Council for this month, I express the satisfaction felt, I am sure, by all members of the Council at the way in which the representative of Iraq, Mr. Al-Shaikhly, presided over the work of the Council during the month of June. You will recall that during that month the Council held eight meetings devoted to two important questions, namely, the situation in Namibia and the situation in Cyprus. As you also know, during that month there were numerous informal meetings and consultations among members. In presiding over both the official and informal activities, the representative of Iraq performed his duties admirably and demonstrated his well-known wisdom and patience. May I, on behalf of all my colleagues, ask the representative of Iraq present here to convey to him our appreciation of the personal and professional qualities which he displayed. In accordance with the procedure agreed upon among the members in the course of those consultations, the text of the appeal I have just read out will be put to the vote. First, however, I shall call on the representative of China, who wishes to explain his vote before the vote. Adoption of the agenda The agenda was adopted.

With regard to the appeal to be addressed by the President of the Security Council on the renewal of the mandate of UNEF, the Chinese delegation wishes to reatlirm here the Chinese Government’s principled position of sympathy and support for the just struggle of Arab countries and to condemn the Israeli aggressors The situation in the Middle East: Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Emergency Force (S/11758)

The report of the Secretary-General on the United and their supporters. On the question of UNEF, the Chinese Government has always held its own stand. Accordingly, China dissociates itself from this matter. In view of the foregoing, the Chinese delegation will not participate in the voting on the draft appeal of the President of the Council.

Allow me first, Sir, to express our most sincere congratulations to you on your assumption of the presidency. The present issue, with all the intensive negotiations that lie behind it, is an indication of your diplomatic skill and wisdom, from which we are sure the Security Council will continue to benefit. I should like, on behalf of Mr. Al- Shaikhly, to express our thanks for the kind sentiments you have expressed about him. I shall certainly convey them to him. I should like to express our sincere appreciation also to Mr. Cavaglieri for his most beneficial role in conducting the Council’s business during the informal consultations. 6. Iraq’s position regarding UNEF has been clearly stated on several occasions, particularly in the Security Council. We have dissociated ourselves and still dissociate ourselves from all Council resolutions concerning UNEF. I should like, however, to reemphasize the following points. 7. IraG strongly supports the just struggle of Egypt and alI ‘other’ Arab countries whose land is under Israeli oc&rpation.kraq vehemently upholds the just struggle o’ the Palestinian people to regain their national rig ts, including their right of self-determination on their land. .We feel that the presence of UNEF a in the occupied Arab territories was meant to be a temporary measure to serve towards and be instrumental in effecting the withdrawal of all the forces of the aggressor party. But the experience of the past couple of years has revealed the tendency on the part of Israel to abuse the presence of UNEF by freezing the situation once more into a state of no-war, nopeace, meanwhile perpetuating and consolidating its occupation by creating new realities, in the nature of more Zionist settlements in the occupied Arab territories and by the further expulsion of ‘the Arab population. Accordingly, Iraq will not participate in the voting.

I shall therefore now put to the vote the text of the appeal for the approval of the Council. .! , A vote was taken by show of hands. The draft appeal was approved by 13 votes to none. Two members (China and Iraq) did not participate in the voting.

Since the text of the appeal has been approved by the Council it is my intention to communicate it to President Anwar El-Sadat as soon as possible. The meeting rose at 10.45 p.m. Notes * Subsequently circulated as document S/11771.