Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, United Nations and General International Matters, Volume II

111. Telegram From Department of State to the Mission at the United Nations¹

Washington, November 19, 1959—3:45 p.m.

Gadel 129. Delga 458, Deptel 436, Deptel 383 Management Survey.² Department has same basic objection new USSR draft resolution on Management Survey of Secretariat as set forth Deptel 435 including view that at considerable expense to UN, USSR plans undermine Secretariat.

Mission should therefore consider seriously introducing counter-resolution along lines proposed Deptel 383.

Should it appear after consultation that US resolution would not carry, or third resolution postponing both US and USSR resolutions not feasible mission should adopt tactic of amending new USSR draft to:

1) Eliminate “geographical representation.” (With Committee of Five this clearly undesirable.)

2) Make clear Committee is advisory to SYG, and is to counsel him in surveying activities of UN Secretariat.

3) Eliminate report to 15th session which, even though provisional, clearly impractical.

US Del in talking with other delegations should make clear US most sympathetic with objective of achieving greater economy and efficiency in UN machinery, but in light past experience with so-called expert committees, notably last year’s OPI Committee, is apprehensive lest greater problems raised than now exist. Del will also stress existing machinery ACBAQ etc., which with broader and more forceful direction from SYG could accomplish more effective results with considerably less risk than expert committees.³

Herter

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.15/11–1759. Limited Official Use; Priority. Drafted by Puhan, Freimarck, and Westfall; cleared with Cargo; and approved by Wilcox who signed for Herter.
2. Delga 458, November 17, transmitted the text of a Soviet draft resolution calling for a management survey of the U.N. Secretariat. (ibid.) Telegram 435, November 3, transmitted the Department’s response to a previous Soviet draft resolution on the item. (ibid., 320.15/11–359) Telegram 383 is printed as Document 101.
3. Delga 497, November 20, transmitted the text of a revised U.S. draft resolution on a management survey of the U.N. Secretariat. (Department of State, Central Files, 320.15/11–2059) Delga 528, November 25, reported that Hammarskjöld had accepted the U.S. draft with minor editorial changes. (ibid., 320.15/11–2559) On December 5, the U.N. General Assembly adopted unanimously Resolution 1446 (XIV) on the organization and management of the U.N. Secretariat. For text, see U.N. doc. A4354. For a record of the vote and debate on the resolution, see U.N. doc. A/PV.846.