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IO Flies: US/A/294/Rev.1

United States Delegation Working Paper

secret
[ New York ,] September 14, 1947.

United States Slate for the General Committee

discussion

The General Committee of the General Assembly consists of the President of the Assembly, seven Vice Presidents (which by general understanding include the Big Five) elected as States, and the Chairmen of the six Main Committees of the Assembly, elected as individuals.

The geographic distribution agreed upon in the Department, taking account of the distribution in the First Session, is as follows: three Latin American States; three Eastern European States (one Committee chairmanship, and vice-presidencies of the Assembly for the USSR and one other Eastern State); one British Commonwealth State (plus the United Kingdom); two Near or Middle Eastern States (probably Iran and an Arab State); one Western European State; and the remaining Permanent Members of the Security Council.

recommendations

1. For President of the Assembly:

Evatt (Australia). See attached memorandum.1

2. For Vice Presidents of the Assembly:

China, France, U.K., U.S.S.R., U.S., Mexico, Ukraine

3. For Chairman of Committee 1:

  • Aranha (Brazil)
  • Possible alternative candidates if Aranha does not agree to be a candidate:
  • Berendsen (New Zealand)2
  • Bech (Luxembourg)3

4. For Chairman of Committee 2:

Adl (Iran)4

5. For Chairman of Committee 3:

Modzelewski (Poland)

[Page 117]

6. For Chairman of Committee 4:

Delegate of a Latin American State (On the understanding that we will support the candidate put forward by the Latin Americans themselves.)

7. For Chairman of Committee 5:

Unden (Sweden)5

8. For Chairman of Committee 6:

Delegate of an Arab State (On the understanding that we will support the candidate put forward by the Arab States provided that in making their selection those States realize the need for a competent jurist to fill this post.)

9. Chairman of “Ad Hoc” Committee on Palestine:

Pearson (Canada)

It is recommended that the Delegation be authorized to adjust this slate for all Committees except Committee 1 in the light of the desires and intentions of other countries, provided that the general geographic distribution established in this slate is not altered.

  1. Supra.↩
  2. Sir Carl A. Berendsen, New Zealand Minister to the United States and Chairman of the New Zealand Delegation to the General Assembly.↩
  3. Joseph Bech, Luxembourg Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Luxembourg Delegation to the General Assembly.↩
  4. Mostafu Adl, Minister of State and Chairman of the Iranian Delegation to the General Assembly.↩
  5. Osten Unden, Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Swedish Delegation to the General Assembly.↩