Office of the Historian

320/11–950: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin)

confidential
Washington, November 9, 1950—11 a. m.

Gadel 104. Dept’s position re membership question in plenary GA fol:

(1)
ICJ advisory opinion
Advisory opinion of 3 March 1950 on competence of GA for admission of a state to UN shld be treated by GA as binding but no formal action necessary.1
(2)
Membership applications
a.
No change has occurred since 4th session GA which wld call for [Page 183] departure from US position last year re Sov omnibus proposal on membership and re individual membership applications.2
b.
GA resolutions 296 (IV) A–I and K make as satisfactory provision for continuing consideration membership applications as is possible under existing conditions.
c.
Accordingly if res considered necessary US shld favor short res requesting SC to keep membership applications under consideration in accordance with terms of Res 296 (IV) A–I and K. Possible text such res contained separate tel.3
(3)
Preferable USDel not take lead by presenting res if others willing do so.
(4)
Dept hopes plenary action can be deferred to end Nov as passage res might encourage Bebler raising in SC this month.4 Dept hopes this can be avoided seeing no useful purpose full discussion this subj this time.

Acheson
  1. In its advisory opinion the International Court of Justice advised the General Assembly that under the procedure for the admission of new members to the United Nations as laid down in Article 4, paragraph 2 of the United Nations Charter, the General Assembly was not competent to admit an applicant state to membership in the absence of an affirmative recommendation by the Security Council.↩
  2. Far documentation on this matter at the fourth regular session of the General Assembly in 1949, see Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. ii, pp. 291 ff.↩
  3. Infra.↩
  4. Ales Bebler was Permanent Representative of Yugoslavia at the United Nations. As Yugoslav Representative he was presiding as President of the Security Council for the month of November.↩