Office of the Historian

180. Telegram 4866 From the Embassy in Mexico to the Department of State, June 4, 1975, 1940Z.1 2

June 4, 1975, 1940Z

TELEGRAM
Department of State
MEXICO 4866

R 041940Z JUN 75

FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8105
INFO USMISSION USUN NY

MEXICO 4866

E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: OCON, OTRA, MX

SUBJ: WCIWY - HEAD OF U.S. DELEGATION
REFS: (1) STATE 127795 (2) USUN 1815 (3) MEXICO 4584

1. WE, AND I AM SURE THE MEXICAN AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS, ARE GRATIFIED BY THE STELLAR DELEGATION WHICH WILL REPRESENT THE U.S. AT WCIWY. HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED AT THE SUGGESTION THAT WE HAVE CO-HEADS OF THE DELEGATION AND WISH TO POINT OUT THAT THIS MAY CAUSE PROBLEMS.

2. I PARTICULARLY RECOMMEND THAT OUR DELEGATION BE HEADED BY A WOMAN AND ON THIS I AM SUPPORTED BY MEMBERS OF MY STAFF WHO ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE SITUATION. AS I POINTED OUT IN MY TELEGRAM 4584, I UNDERSTAND THAT MOST OF THE IMPORTANT COUNTRIES WILL HAVE DELEGATIONS HEADED BY WOMEN. THIS SEEMS CONFIRMED BY USUN 1722 AND NUMEROUS RESPONSES TO THE DEPARTMENT’S REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON DELEGATIONS.

3. USUN 1815 SUPPORTED OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT OUR DELEGATION BE HEADED BY A WOMAN. WHILE THE FOREIGN MINISTRY STILL DOES NOT HAVE A FULL LIST OF DELEGATIONS, OF THOSE RECEIVED THUS FAR ONLY THE FOLLOWING SEEM TO BE HEADED BY A MAN: FINLAND, MADAGASCAR, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, SWAZILAND, BOTSWANA--MOSTLY COUNTRIES THAT ARE RELATIVELY NEW AND APPARENTLY HAVE NOT YET PRODUCED OUTSTANDING WOMEN LEADERS.

4. FOREIGN MINISTRY TELLS ME THAT FOLLOWING IS UPDATED LIST OF SPEAKERS INSCRIBED FOR MORNING OF FRIDAY, JUNE 20:

1. SIR LANKA, PM S.R.D. BANDARANAIKE
2. IRAN, PRINCESS ASHRAF PAHLEVI
3. PHILIPPINES, MRS. MARCOS, WIFE OF PRESIDENT
4. UK, MINISTER BARBARA CASTLE.
5. EGYPT, MRS. SADAT, WIFE OF THE PRESIDENT
6. AUSTRALIA, ELIZABETH REID
7. JAMAICA, MRS. MANLEY, WIFE OF THE PRIME MINISTER
8. PERU, (POSSIBLY MRS. VELASCO ALVARADO, WIFE OF PRESIDENT).
9. DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF KOREA, SPEAKER STILL UNKNOWN
10. U.S.

WE SHOULD BE AWARE THAT UNLESS THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF KOREA NAMES A MAN, THE FIRST MAN INSCRIBED TO SPEAK IN THE GENERAL DEBATE WOULD BE THE U.S. DELEGATE.

5. WITH THE ABOVE IN MIND, I WISH TO REITERATE MY RECOMMENDATION THAT THE TITULAR HEAD OF THE USDEL BE A WOMAN.
JOVA

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Limited Official Use. Repeated to USUN. On June 9 Kissinger informed Sipila that Hutar and Parker would serve as co-heads of the delegation for June 19–21. Thereafter Hutar was designated head of delegation. (Ibid., P750096–2392)↩
  2. Jova urged the Department to name a woman as head of the U.S. delegation to the World Conference of the International Women’s Year.↩