Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, United Nations Affairs, Volume III

Press Release No. GA/T/244 Issued by the Secretariat of the United Nations, New York, November 18, 1952.¹

New York, November 18, 1952

Fourth Committee Adopts Nine-Point Resolution on Factors; Recommends That 10–Member Special Committee Make Further Study

The Fourth (Trusteeship) Committee today recommended that a 10-member special committee be set up to carry further the study on factors which determine whether a territory is fully self-governing.

The recommendation of the Committee formed part of a nine-point resolution which will come before the General Assembly in plenary session.

The resolution represented a proposal introduced originally by Burma, Cuba, Egypt, Guatemala, Iraq and Venezuela (Doc. A/C.4/L.231), to which an amendment by the Dominican Republic and Peru (Doc. A/C.4/L.234) was introduced. In its final form, the text incorporated amendments by Argentina, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Poland and the USSR.

The resolution was adopted at the close of a three-and-a-half-hour session involving a 90-minute discussion of procedure and 24 separate votes. The resolution was finally adopted as a whole by 34 to 12, with 8 abstentions. Six of the 60-member Committee were absent when the ballot was taken.

The resolution asks the Assembly to:

(1) Approve provisionally “as a guide” the factors listed in the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Factors (Doc. A/2178).

(2) Consider individual cases individually, taking into account the right of self-determination of peoples.

(3) Declare that the list of factors should in no way be interpreted to hinder the attainment of self-government.

(4) Declare that “for a territory to be deemed self-governing in economic, social or educational affairs, it is essential that its people shall have attained a full measure of self-government as referred to in Chapter XI of the Charter.”

(5) Recommend that the list of factors be taken into account provisionally in cases examined by the General Assembly concerning cessation of transmission of information on territories or the obligation to transmit information.

(6) Decide to set up a new ad hoc committee of 10 members with instructions to continue and carry out a more thorough study of the factors.

(7) Invite the new committee to take into account also earlier statements by governments as well as the following “additional elements,” in relation to Chapter XI of the Charter:

(a) the possibility of defining the concept of self-government;

(b) the features guaranteeing the principle of the self-determination of the peoples;

(c) the manifestation of the freely expressed will of the peoples.

(8) Invite members to transmit by 1 May 1953 a statement of their views on “the subjects contained in the terms of reference of the committee.”

(9) Convene the committee four weeks before the opening of the next General Assembly.

The 12 members voting against the resolution as a whole were: Australia, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Union of South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The eight abstaining were: Canada, Dominican Republic, Greece, Israel, Nicaragua, Norway, Peru and Uruguay.

The six absent when the ballot was cast were: Costa Rica, Honduras, Iceland, Panama, Paraguay and Turkey.

Chairman Rodolfo Munoz (Argentina) announced at the close of today’s vote that the choice of members to form the special committee would be made after the resolution had been considered by the General Assembly.

The Committee decided, after a lengthy debate this morning, that it would vote first on an amendment by Argentina (Doc. A/C.4/L.237) which proposed, among other things, that provisions of an amendment by the Dominican Republic and Peru (Doc. A/C.4/L.234) should be added to—and not substituted for—the provisions of the six-power draft resolution. By this decision, the six-power draft resolution was made the basis of the Committee’s voting.

In a series of votes, the Committee then incorporated the amendments by the USSR (Doc. A/C.4/L.233), Poland (Doc. A/C.4/L.235), Ecuador (Doc. A/C.4/L.239) and the Netherlands (Doc. A/C.4/L.236), as well as amendments by Argentina and joint amendments by the Dominican Republic and Peru.

During the voting, the representatives of the Dominican Republic and Peru withdrew a provision of their amendment which would have the Assembly take note of the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Factors.

In explanation of vote, Benjamin Gerig (United States) stated that two theories underlying the resolution had led the United States to vote against its adoption as a whole. The first of these was the concept of the indivisibility of autonomy, which was embodied in the resolution. The second, he said, was the idea that the General Assembly was the authority which was competent to decide when a territory was fully self-governing.

Dr. Brita Skottsberg-Ahman (Sweden) gave similar reasons for her delegation’s negative vote.

Carlos Peon del Valle (Mexico) reserved the position of his delegation.

Dr. Enrique de Marchena (Dominican Republic) and Dr. Carlos Salazar (Peru) said that their delegations had abstained in the vote on the resolution as a whole because of the inclusion of two paragraphs which dealt with autonomy and which they could not accept.

Emile Najar (Israel) said he believed that the Committee had not been successful in reconciling diverging views.

The Committee adjourned until tomorrow at 10: 30 a.m., when it is expected to begin consideration of the Report of the Trusteeship Council (Doc. A/2150).

1. Source: ODA files, lot 60 D 257, “NSGT: Factors, etc.”