108. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Key) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy)1
Washington, May 26,
1955.
SUBJECT
- Admission of New Members to the United Nations
Discussion:
- 1.
- At a meeting in the Secretary’s office April 28 he suggested that we should take advantage of the Bandung Conference statement calling for the admission to the UN of Cambodia, Ceylon, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Libya, Nepal, and a “unified Vietnam”2 to make a move on the membership problem in the UN. As a “unified Vietnam” does not now exist, it would be excluded. It was agreed that Turkey, as the one SC member present at Bandung, might appropriately initiate SC action, at as early a date as possible, particularly in view of its relation to Japan’s bargaining position in forthcoming negotiations with the USSR.
- 2.
- A draft telegram to USUN in New York to the above effect, prepared for the Secretary’s consideration, reached him just before [Page 275] his departure for Europe. He decided then that the matter should be given further consideration.
- 3.
- EUR questions the desirability of proceeding now with the seven applicants in the Bandung statement. On the other hand FE and NEA continue to believe we should proceed on this basis as soon as possible.
- 4.
- In IO’s view the timing of any move on membership is of importance for a number of reasons. To proceed only with the seven Asian-African applicants might prejudice broader negotiations, including the possibility of a “package deal” on membership in Great Power negotiations, particularly because any SC action on membership may lead to reconsideration of all pending applications. Also relevant are the facts that (a) all the pending applications (list attached as Tab A) are to be reviewed by the SC before the 10th GA; (b) in the event of a continued membership impasse we would presumably proceed, despite serious obstacles, with our non-member participation plan, on which negotiations ought to be initiated shortly; and (c) support is developing for a Charter amendment to eliminate the veto on membership, of which we may wish to take advantage, should it become clear no possibility exists for positive action on membership; this, however, is not a factor in 1955.
- 5.
- Ambassador Lodge has asked whether we would support Austria’s admission now, without reference to the other qualified applicants. He has also suggested the possibility of proceeding on the basis of the Bandung statement. He reports that the UN Good Offices Committee on membership is discussing a possible “short package” (Austria, Finland, Italy, Libya).
Recommendation:
That you convene at as early a date as possible a meeting of the Assistant Secretaries from the four geographic areas, IO [&] L to discuss the UN membership problem in the light of the above, with a view to determining an appropriate course of action.
[Page 276]- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 310.2/5–2655. Confidential. Drafted by Brown. Cleared by EUR, NEA, FE, ARA, L, and C.↩
- Reference is to section F (1) of the Final Communiqué of the Bandung Conference issued on April 24, 1955, entitled “Promotion of World Peace and Cooperation.” The text of the entire communiqué is printed in Documents (R.I.I.A.) for 1955, pp. 429–436.↩
- Presumably ineligible because of its status of permanent neutrality. [Footnote in the source text.]↩