320/8–1053: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Belgium1
priority
niact
161. Dept informed Brussels despatch 169, August 10,2 that Belgium has decided withdraw from UN Committee on Information from Non-Self-Governing [Page 1317] Territories scheduled to convene UN Headquarters August 18. This decision would upset balanced membership of Committee and might cause serious difficulties for other administering members including US which has important item relating to Puerto Rico on agenda Committee.
Action for Brussels: Request you inform Belgian Government soonest at high level: (1) that US intends continue participation in Committee on Information; (2) that US deeply concerned over possible effects Belgian decision and urges its reconsideration and Belgian participation in Committee at least through forthcoming session; (3) that withdrawal of an administering member from Committee as contemplated by Belgium will upset balanced membership of Committee and will substantially diminish possibility of obtaining moderate resolutions for presentation to General Assembly; (4) that postponement of action by Belgian Government at least through forthcoming session of Committee would enable question of composition of Committee to be reviewed in GA with possibility that balanced membership could be retained; and (5) that US is presenting above views to other administering members of Committee.
Action for other capitals: You are requested to make known to Foreign Office above approach to Belgian Government and seek support soonest for US position.
- Also sent for action (priority niact) to London (787), Paris (529), The Hague (210), Copenhagen (65), Canberra (26), and Wellington (22); and repeated for information to the Mission at the United Nations (61). This telegram was drafted by the Deputy Director of the Office of Dependent Area Affairs (Cargo), cleared in substance with the regional bureaus, and signed by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for UN Affairs (Sandifer).↩
- Not printed (320/8–1053).↩