S/PV.88 Security Council

We shall now proceed to the consideration of the provisional agenda for the eightymeighth meeting. . ln proceeding to our discussion, if no members desire to make comments on this agenda, . 1 should like to make a statement as representative of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on item 5;that is to say regarding the letter from the representative of the Soviet Union concerning the' implementation of the General Assembly The United States delegation' has also a proposal on this subject, which it desires should be considered by the Security Council. Copies of this proposal are being distributed at this meet· ing for the consideration of the Security Council, members.2 In whatever way the Security Council may decide to resolve this procedural question, consideration of the supject should, in the view of the United States de!egation, be postponed until the first meeting in 1947; and it shou1d be clearly understood that the United States proposaI, and any ether proposal which may be introduced relating to implementation of the General Assembly resolution, will be considered concurrently and on an· equal basis with the proposaI of the Soviet Union representative. Postponement wou1d have the added advantage that the Security Council wou1d begin what will surely be very important.and extended discussions of the whole problem of the regulation of armaments with the new members who will have to continue consideration of the problem in 1947. The holidays which have intervened since our last meeting also suggest the aclvisability of postpone,.' ment of consideration of t.his subject until all members represented on the Council have had time to study the matter before them and to receive appropriate instructions from their Governments. Does any other representative wish to speak on this matter? Mr. GROMYKO (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (translated trom Russian): The significance of the resolution adopted by the General Assemblyon 14 December 1946 is weil known. This resolution was adopted after an extensive and careful study of the proposaI submitted to Furthermore, paragraph 5 of the resolution refers to the necessit.y for the Security Council to give prompt consideration to the working out of proposaIs ta provide such practical and dfective safeguards in connexion with the control of atomic energy, and the general regula. tion and reduction of armaments, as would denote the pràctical implementation of these recommendations of the General Assembly. Thus,.in the resolution of the General Assembly adopted on 14 Deeember 1946, the Security Council is recommended ta procee~ promptly to the implementation of the contem.· plated measures. It is precisely on this ground that the Soviet Government has submitted for the wnsideration of the Security Council a proposaI which reads as follows: ccConsidering that the general regulation and reduction of armaments and armed forces is the most important measure for the strengthening of international peace and se- {;ttrity, and that the implementation of the General Assembly's decision on this question is one of the most urgent and inost important tasks facing the Security Council, the Council resolves: ' "1. To proceed with the working out of practical measures for the implementation of the General Assembly's decision of 14 December 1946, on the, general regulation and reduction of.anhaments ,and anned forces and on the establishment of international control assuring the reduction of armaments and 'armed forces; "2. To establish a commission of the repre· 1 wish to express my confidence that the Security Council will give serious consideration to this proposai of the Soviet Government in accordance with the obligation which the reso· lution of the General Assembly lays upon us. Mr. Johnson has stated that he felt that consideration should be given preferably not to the proposai submitted by the Soviet Government, but to the resolution of the Generai Assembly of 14 December. 1 snould like to point out to the representative of the United States of America that the Soviet proposai also refers precisely to the resolution of the Generai Assembly 'Of 14 December. 1 do not see, therefore, how it can be suggested that we can discuss the resolution.of.the Generai Assembly without discussing the proposals submitted by the Soviet Government with a view to speeding up the implementation of this resolution cif the .Assembly. As we know, the Soviet proposai contains a proposaI to establish for this purpose a special cCorrunission, which would work out practicaI measures to speed up the implementation of L,e Generai Assembly's decision. As regards the question of discussing the Soviet proposaI at tocb.y's meeting of the Security Council or at a !Jubsequent meeting, 1 would say that it would be better to discuss this proposaI today, but if sorDe members of the Security 'Council consider that for one or another reason it would he better to examine this p~oposal not at the present meeting, but at a subsequent meeting of the Security Council, in a few days' time, 1 shall raise no objection. If any members Df the Security Council are not prepared to investigate this proposaI today, 1 will not raise any objection to its being considered at the next meeting. lt would be better, however, if we settled the date 'Of the next meeting of the Couneil today. The representative of the United States has pointed out that the Security Council has not 'Only to consider the Soviet proposai regarding the resolution of the General Assembly of 14 _Pecember, but also other proposals relating to that resolution. 1 agree with this statement by t~~ representative of the United States, and 1 shall take part in the discussion of any further , proposals which may be submitted by other tep- :sentatives to the Security Council.

1 think there has been a slight misunderstanding by the representative of the Soviet Union as to the meaning of my suggestion. 1 should like to say one or two words to clarify it. The United States does not oppose placing the proposai of the Soviet Union representative on ,the agenda, nor do we suggest that the Cimncil adopt adifferent procedure. 1 expressed the 'Opinion that it would be preferable for the item 1 'n'ai The United States has its own particular views, to which it will, in due course, invite the consideration of the Council, and 1 have distributF.d ta the members of the Council a draft resolution which will come up at our next meeting; however, 1 do not intend ta burden the Council with its discussion today. 1 appreciate the willingness expressed by the representative of the Soviet Union, if the Council so desires, to postpone the discussion of this question until the next meeting of the Couneil. Mr. GROMYKO (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) : Of the substance ... ?

... of the substance of this question. 1think that, in view of the fact that at the next meeting of the Couneil three new members will take their seats, it is desirable that the discussion of tile substance should begin befol'e the full new Council, rather than today. It seems ta me that for practical reasons the consideration of the question should be postponed. The representative of the United States is serving today the last session of his term as President of the CoUncil. The new President of . the Couneil, the representati\'e of Australia, will have to indicate the date of the next meeting. 1 would suggest that it should be fixed for next Monday or Tuesday. 1 leave it ta the Couneil or ta any member of the Couneil to make any proposal he may see fit on the subject when the time comes. 1 suggest now, if there is no further discussion on item 1 of the provisional agenda, that we consider the agenda adopted as it stands. 1 hear no objection to that. We can then pass on ta consideration of the various items. Is. there any further comment? Mr. GROMYKO (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (trt;.:nslated trom Russian): 1 should like to propose tliat the next meeting of the Security Council be held not later than Tuesday. The exact date mqy be settled by tIre President in àgreement with the members of the Security Council, in acc()rdance with Council procedure. 113. Pouvoirs Th~ PRESIDENT: Item 2 on the agenda fo" the eighty-eighth meeting is the report by the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council concerning the credentials of the representative of Belgium on the Security Coun~il. point huitième général concernant Belgique taire voirs If there is 1:0 objection, the rep:Jrt by the Secretary-General is adopted, in the sense that these credentials a!e satisfactory. point Président pouvoirs de adopté. 1tem 2 was adopted. The PRESIDENT: Item 3 is the report by the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Coullcil concerning the credentials of the representative of Syria on the Security Council. If there is no objection, the report is adopted. Item 3 was adopted. peint Président

Item 4 is the report by the Secretary-General to the President .of the Security Council concerning the credentials of the representative of Colombia on the Security Council. If there is no objection, the report of the Secretary-General on the credentials of the representative of Colombia is adopted. pouvoir~ Conseil adopté. Item 4 was adopted. 114. Proposai to dafer discussion on the regulatiolrl and reduction of armaments and on the Statute of Trieste 114. Proposition

Item 5 is the letter 1 from the Soviet representative on the Security Council to the Secretary-General, dated 27 December, 1946, regarding the implementation of the resolution of the General Assembly on the general regulation and reduction of armamentS. point du l'Union concernant prise mentation armements. point l'opinion Je figurer reporté objections? qualité D'AMÉRIQUE, Our previous discussion of item 1 of the provisional agenda has, it seems to me, elicited' the general views of the Council regarding this matter. 1 therefore suggest that this item be retained on the agenda, and cairied over to our next meeting. Are there any objections? The proposal was addpted. The PRESIDENT: As representative of the UNITED STATES 'JF AMERICA, 1 shOlild like to declare to you, with reference to the papers on l\1r. GROMYKO (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (translated trom Russian): 1 have no objection to the inclusion of this question in the Security Council's agenda for immediate consideration. But today we are not consideril1g the order of the items on the agenda of the next meeting. Would it not be better, therefore, to decide whether the present question is to be included in the agenda of the next meeting, and to decide the question of the order of the items afterwards when we deal with this agenda? That would be more logical. listes 1 m'oppose questio~ aux ne priorité occuper TI cette chai.Tle d'établir aura ce serait plus logique.

1 agree.with the representative of the Soviet Union. 1 think he misunderstood me. 1 simply suggestcd that, as representative of the United States, 1 would request the Secretary-General and the new President to place that item as number 1 on the provisional agenda of the next meeting. The decision would naturally be made by the Council itself. partage soviétique. de que au d'inscrire l'ordre au décider, 115. Remarks by the President

The close of the year is the traditional time for looking back over the record of any organization, and when considering the adivities of the Security Council, it should be a matter of general satis-faction to us aIl that the work of this Council, which is representative of ail the United Nations, appears to have gained in strength and effectiveness with the passage of time. l shall not go into details nor shall 1 recite the catalogue of the various cases which have been before the Council. These details are weil known to ail of you. 1 personally feel, however, and 1 am confident that all of the members of the Security Council also feel encouraged by the fact that we have been able to reach important unanimous decisions. on an increased number of issues which have come before 'us during the last rnonths of this j'car. 1 sincerely hope that 1.947 will bring a further measure of agreement on the part of the representatives. toute l'année, Si sécurité, satisfaction temps, représente entière, \énumérer été le décisions bre 1 dont mois encouragement, éprouvent, J'espère l'entente sur points. cours sécurité intérieur manière à dette ln this connexion, it may be weIl for the Council to consider at future meetings the adoption of further rules of procedure, or the modification of existing rules, with a view to ~xi,edit­ ing its deliberations. The whole Council owes a great debt to the three members who are meeting with us for the 1 am glad ta note, however, that at least two of the three nations leaving the Council today will be represented, in 1947, on other Councils of the United Nations. As departing President of this Council, it ooly remains for me ta express my sincere gratitude for the co-operation which 1 have received from my fellow-representatives, and to say that 1 have been immeasurably helped i.n dispatching the duties of my temporary office by the confidence with which you have aIl honolL."ed me. 1 wish you aIl a very happy 3ew Year, Gadspeed and best wishes to the rel"resentatives of Egypt, of Mexico and of the Netherlands. 1116. Valedictory remarks by retiring members of the Security Council HASSAN Pasha (Egypt): It behoves me, as the representative of the first on the list of countrie.~ to leave the Security Council at the end of thb session, to thank you, Mr. President, on behalf of my predecessor and myself, for the kind words YOu have just uttered, which 1 consider also as an expression of thanks to the Government which 1 represent here. 1 personaIly have been connected \Vith the Council for two terms, one right at the beginning when the Iranian question was debated, and one towards the eL.1 when the Greek problem was brought before the Council. These two questions were rather difficult ones to tackle, and yet the Council has managed to give the right and just solution to both problems. This, in' my view, represems a great success for the Council, and 1 think it deserves considerable credit. There have been moments when there was real doubt about the success of our Council, but having followed it from beginning to end, 1 feel sure that the world at large now feels that we are making sorne contribution to keeping the peace of the world after the devastating war which we have witnessed in the last six or seven years. 1 shaillikewise not omit to thank the President of the first session which considered the Iranian question, the representative of China who is my neighbour at the present moment, for bis kindness, his forbearance and for the way in which he conducted the debates. 1 know at the time 1 want also to thank all the representatives present here with whom 1 have been associated, anà 1 ask each and every one of them ta CO:1- sider that my interventions in the debates were dictated by my conscience. 1 did not mean ta contradict any Olle of them on any particular matter; 1 wanted ta fulfil my duty towards the United Nations and towards my conscience. 1 believe) as the President said, that we have come ta an agreement on all matters. Our work may have been a little slow, but we must not lose sight of the fact that this is the first session of the Security Couneil) and 1 believe that at me be~ ginning all organizations and all bOŒe-s have ta remove obstacles which generally stand in their way. 1 believe th~lt the Council has done this very successfully and in the quiekest possible way. 1 do not want ta pralong this session any further. 1 just want also ta thank the Secretary- General for his co-operation with all of us, which has been given in the most courteous manner, ant~ which 1 believe has contributed ta the success of the Couneil. Mr. PADILLA NERVO (Mexico): This is the last meeting of the Security Couneil in. 1946. Mexieo's term of office as a member of the Security Council expires today. This is therefore the last time that 1 have the hOllour ta address this Council. 1 want ta state first of aIl) in the name of my Government, that it has been a great privilege and a great responsibility ta have been chosen by the General Assembly as one of the first members eleeted to constitute this important organ of the United Nations. As the represeutative of Mexico, 1 am satisfied that while following the instructions of my Government, 1 have always acted in this Couneil in aecordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter. 1 have stated here on different occasions that accorcling ta the Charter, the Security Council acts in a representative capacity on behalf of the United Nations, and that while eonsidering any case and in rendering any decision, our paramount dutYshould be to serve the fundamental interests of the United Nations rather than the national interests of the eleven de critiqué parce mettre tantes mon miste au le utile. matie publique problèmes au reux prises de particulièrement arriver de Conseil répète, rité complet ment Les se importants bientôt tives n'en s'occuper problèmes rables Conseil aussi réduction toutes l'énergie utilisation de Gouvernements nations, différentes, source entier. nationale; bien talé de sécurité mondiale peut cette permanents jouera offerte In the present post-war tra11sitional period, the disputes or differences among Governments of nations great or small, in their struggle to achi13ve security according ta different conceptions, are a cause of uneasiness and anxiety aU over the world. There is no1longer such a thing as national security. There can only be security for aIl or for none. World security can and shall be achieved, but only through the co-operation, tolerance and good faith of aIl, within the framework of the United Nations. In this task the co-operation of the non-permanent members of the Security Council can and will be of paramount importance. 1 wish you, Mr. President, my disti.,guished colleagues and the representatives of the new !:lembers, every success in the performance of your functions and duties in this Council, through which, 1 feel, you will greatly contribute to the cause of international peace. Ml'. VAN KLEFFENS (Netherlands): For me too, this is the time to say goodbye. The year the Netherlands has spent on the Secur:ty Council is drawing to a close. First of all, 1 want to thank you, Ml'. Presi- , dent, who have so very ably presided over our debates during more than the normal period, for the kind words you found in taking leave of the outgoing members. J, for my part, take leave of my colleagues, of the Secretary-General, of our very able Ml'. Sobolev and of the staff with great regret. Our personal relations have at a11 timesbe-en very pleas:l.nt. 01;7 debates, ~lthough not always conducted perhaps in the language of old-world diplomacy, have not lacked that elementary courtesy which is the salt of international intercourse. l can see for this Council an immense field of -fruitful activity lying ahead. There will be the ,disarmament .question. There is the pacification ·of south-eastern Europe. There will be much, muchmore. J, too, wish the Council every possible success in the accomplishment of aU the important work that is in store for it. In the course of the year in which it has been my privilege to represent my country on the Council, we have established a number of precedents and of interpretations of the Charter. Some, 1 feel sure, will stand the test of time; others, J feel equally sure, will not. World public opinion, ,expressed directly or through the General Assembly, will require alteration. J am happy to know that our neighbour and -'çlose friend, Belgium, will be represented on this Council from now on, and this by a very able ·representative. 1 also welcome Colombia and :Syria to the Counci1. 1 leave you with the feeling of having received much more than 1 was able ta give. My gratitude is commensurate with my consciousness of being greatly indebted ta you aIl. May an auspicious blend of prudence and of boldness, of firmness and of forbearance be forever the hallmark of the deliberations and decisions of the Securitv Council. Peace in our time and in the time of those who come after us may well depend on it. 117. Tribute to the President Sir Alexander CADOGAN (United Kingdom): Mr. President, before this sitting cames ta an end, 1 take it upon myself ta address a few words ta you. In doing so, 1 claim ta speak on behalf of all my colleagues round this table. 1 am sure we aIl wish ta express ta you our gratitude for the admirable manner in which you have conducted our business and guided our work. None of your predecessors has done it better, and not one of them has done it for so long. When it seemed desirable ta readjust the period of office, when it appeared that the manner of doing sa would involve the pro~ongation for a short time I)f the te..iTI of office of the existing President, the Council was very fortunate in finding you in the Chair and fortunate in that thereby unanimity was easily obtained for prolonging your spell of office. Probably no other individual will ever again hold the office for sa long a continuous term.; your record may stand for ever. While you have been in the Chair, Mr. President, the Council has discussed more than one question giving rise to points of considerable difficulty. But those difficulties were overcome; and not only were the immediate difficulties overcome but 1 think that the overcùming of them, the fact that they were solved, set a precedent which may inspire üs with hope and confidence. Your contribution ta that suc-. cess was certainly very great, and your combinatian of wisdom, patience, courtesy, and firmness contributed very largely ta the successful issue of our work. We aIl ought to be, and 1 am sure we aIl' are extremely grateful ta you for your unstinted and successful labours in behalf of the Security Council. ~r. LANGE (Poland): 1 think 1 express the feelings of aIl members of the Council if 1 not only join in Sir Alexander'sthanks to you for the task performed under your Presidency, to Ml'. Trygve LIE (Secretary-General): 1 am not going to prolong this meeting. The Security Couneil has an immense amount of work behind it. You have had eighty-eight meetings, and 1 may say sometimes very long meetings. 1 think 1 am right in saying that the Security Conneil is the hardest working organ of the United Nations, and you have gained respect all over the world. If the results have not been entirely satisfactory to all, 1 think you have attained results where it was possible. On behalf of Ml'. Sobolev, the staff of the Ulùted Nations, and myseH, 1 thank you aIl for your very good co-operation in 1946. 1 hope the relations we have had will be those of the Security Couneil in the future also. 1 wish you aU a Happy New Year.

Gentlemen, before declaring this meeting closed, 1 desire on my own behalf and on that of every member of the Council to extend to the Secretary-General, ~r. Trygve Lie, to the Assistant Secretary-General in charge of Security Council AfIairs, Ml'. Sobolev, and to aU members of the United Nations Secre- 1\ariat, our profound and sincere gratitude for their labours, their loyalty and their extreme efficiency. We are aU in their debt. Withbut them we could not have functioned. 1 join with my other colleagues on the Council in wishing them a very happy New Year and a long sojoum in the Secretariat of the United Nations. May 1 also thank Sir Alexander Cadogan and Ml'. Lange most sincerely for the very kind and exceedingly generous words which they addressed to me. 1 have been greatly moved.