Office of the Historian

Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 283

Twelfth Restricted Session on Indochina, Geneva, June 4, 3 p.m.; Proposal Made by the French Delegation

most secret
[Geneva,] June 4, 1954.

Structure of Supervision in Viet-Nam

Supervision in Vietnam shall be organized in the following manner:

1.
An “International Supervisory Commission” shall be set up composed of representatives of neutral countries.
2.
Joint commissions shall likewise be set up composed of representatives of the Commands.
3.

The “International Supervisory Commission” shall be responsible for the execution, by the parties, of the clauses of the armistice agreements.

For this purpose, it shall establish a complete system of supervision, inspection and investigation, comprising a central commission, local commissions distributed over the whole of the territory, and ad hoc mobile commissions which can be utilized in any part of the country. These commissions shall carry out all necessary investigations both documentary and on the spot, either on their own account, or at the request of either of the parties, according to the decisions of the central commission. Any complaint shall be followed by an investigation.

Throughout the whole of the territory, the international commissions shall be given every facility by the civil and military authorities to enable them to carry through their mission.

The international commissions, at every level, shall take their decisions by a majority vote in accordance with a procedure to be determined.

4.

The joint commissions shall take part in the execution of the armistice terms, particularly of those which imply regular contact between the parties or which require a thorough knowledge of local conditions.

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The joint commissions shall act under the authority of the “International Supervisory Commission”, which shall assign to them special duties taking account of the foregoing considerations. They shall report to the international commissions, in proper form to be established by the latter, on the performance of such duties.

Any difference of opinion arising within the joint commissions shall be submitted to the “International Supervisory Commission” which shall settle the dispute directly with the parties.

5.
The “International Supervisory Commission” shall be installed as soon as hostilities cease. It shall begin work immediately and define at once the spheres of action and the working conditions of the joint commissions. Measures consequent on the cessation of hostilities (regroupings, transfers of units, release of prisoners etc.) shall be carried out under its supervision with the assistance of the joint commissions.