Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1957, Volume XVII

401. Position Paper Prepared by the Department of State¹

Washington, November 15, 1957.

SD/A/C.1/472/b/Add.1

ADDENDUM

REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST

The Problem

The report of the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)² has projected a budget of $40.7 million for 1958.

The pledging session for UNRWA held by the ad hoc committee of the whole General Assembly on October 4, 1957, netted pledges of a little over $25.5 million. At that time the United States pledged $17.5 million toward the Agency’s relief program and $4 million toward its rehabilitation program. Unless considerably more funds are forthcoming, the Agency will have to curtail operations even more than it has done so far. The Secretary General circulated a letter on November 7 indicating a reduced rehabilitation program of $7.2 million and inviting members to announce new or increased contributions during the Special Political Committee’s discussion of the Director’s report. The Secretary General made the point that the response would have a direct bearing on the discussion, particularly on what elements in the Agency’s calendar year 1958 program should be eliminated. The Special Political Committee will be convened to consider the Director’s Annual Report in the light of the Secretary General’s appeal.

United States Position

1. Before the Special Political Committee turns to the Director’s report the United States Delegation should, at the outset of the Committee’s meeting, invite other members to respond to the Secretary General’s appeal and, for its part, raise previous United States pledges to $18 million for relief and $5 million for rehabilitation provided United States contributions do not exceed 70 percent of total contributions. The Delegation should make it clear that these pledges are for the United States 1958 fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 1958 and that any United States pledges during the second half of the Agency’s fiscal year (July 1–December 31, 1958) will have to depend on further Congressional action.

2. In order to encourage additional support, the Delegation should, prior to the time that the Special Political Committee takes up the Director’s report, approach selected delegations and inform them of the United States intention, inviting them to suggest to their governments that they be authorized to indicate during the Committee’s discussion possible new or increased pledges.

3. If no further pledges are received and it becomes obvious that the Agency will have to curtail operations, the following clause should be added to the first operative paragraph of the draft resolution contained in the attachment to the original position paper (SD/A/C.l/472 b): “and bearing in mind that, if the funds available to the Agency are not sufficient to enable the Agency to continue all existing services, the provision of essential food, medical care and shelter under the relief program should be the last services to be reduced.”

Comment

If funds available to the Agency during 1958 fall as far short of the budget as indicated by the pledging session, the Special Political Committee will have to make some clear-cut decisions with regard to the matters raised in the Director’s Annual Report. For one thing, the Committee could not approve the 1958 budget as requested by the Director. Furthermore, the Committee would have to take upon itself the responsibility of indicating, at least in broad terms, what services the Agency should curtail. It is therefore necessary for the Special Political Committee to approach the problem with a full sense of realism. This tone has been set by the Secretary General’s appeal and the United States Delegation can contribute to that atmosphere by speaking at the very outset of the Committee’s consideration of the Director’s report, making its additional offer and making it absolutely clear that consideration of the Agency’s projected budget for relief and rehabilitation would be pointless unless greater support is forthcoming.

Any additional United States pledge based on the 70 percent limitation would not benefit the Agency unless accompanied by new pledges from others. However, its additional pledge would underscore United States concern for the future of UNRWA and would limit the grounds on which the United States would be subject to criticism should it have publicly to recognize that the Agency will have to retrench. It would also pre-empt the Soviets from seizing an initiative, should they decide to step into the breach and offer to help meet the Agency’s deficit.

1. Source: Department of State, IO Files: Lot 71 D 440, PP 12th GA Committees 1–6. Confidential. Prepared for the use of the U.S. Delegation to the 12th Regular Session of the U.N. General Assembly. The original State Department position paper concerning UNRWA, dated September 12, to which this paper is an Addendum, described the position which the United States should take during the discussion of the report of the Director of UNRWA (Henry Labouisse). It stated that the United States should seek adoption of a resolution that would extend the essential provisions of Resolution 1018 (XI) in order to provide for the continued operation of the Agency at substantially the current level. (Ibid.) Regarding Resolution 1018 (XI), adopted by the General Assembly on February 28, see footnote 5, Document 323.

   In a memorandum to Dulles dated November 15, Wilcox recommended that the Secretary approve the Addendum. A copy is in Department of State, Wilcox Files: Lot 60 D 113, Refugees.

2. U.N. doc. A/3686 and Corr. 1.