Mideast situation/Activities of SRSG to the Middle East (Jarring)- Report of the SecGen

Report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Special Representative to the Middle East

1. In accordance with his responsibilities under Security Council resolution 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, the Secretary-General has from time to time, submitted to the Security Council progress reports on the activities of Ambassador Gunnar V. Jarring, the Special Representative to the Middle East, in pursuit of his mandate of promoting agreement and assisting efforts to achieve a peaceful and accepted settlement of the Middle East situation.

2. On 13 December 1971, the General Assembly adopted resolution 2799 (XXVI) on the situation in the Middle East.  By paragraph 3 of that resolution, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to reactivate the mission of the Special Representative and assist efforts to reach a peace agreement as envisaged in the Special Representative's aide-memoire of 8 February 1971. By paragraph 8, the Secretary-General was requested to report to the Security Council and to the General Assembly, as appropriate, on the progress made by the Special Representative in the implementation of Security Council resolution 242 (1967) and of General Assembly resolution 2799 (XXVI).

3. Immediately after the adoption of the resolution, Ambassador Jarring held meetings with the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Egypt and Israel, who were still in New York, and with the Permanent Representative of Jordan to the United Nations to discuss arrangements for the reactivation of his mission.  Further inconclusive talks took place in New York from 10 to 27 January 1972.  From 28 to 31 January, Ambassador Jarring was in West Africa at the invitation of resident Senghor of Senegal, who had been the Chairman of the Group of Four African Heads of State which had visited Egypt and Israel towards the end of 1971, and also met with President Ould Daddah of Mauritania, who had been Chairman of the Committee of Ten, to which the Group of Four had reported.

4.  After, consulting further with me in Rome on 5 February,"Ambassador Jarring visited Cairo , where he met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt on 19 and 20 February.  He held discussions with the Jordanian authorities, at their request, on 23 February and with the Israeli authorities, at his suggestion, on 25 February.  After reporting to me at Geneva on 27 February, Ambassador Jarring returned to New York, where he continued to see representatives of the parties until 24 March.  Subsequently, Ambassador Jarring returned to Headquarters from 1 to 4 May and from 1 to 12 August for a further review of the positions of the parties and consultations with all concerned. He also had other contacts elsewhere with representatives of the parties and met twice with me in July 1972 in Geneva to discuss what further useful action might be taken.

5.   In spite of our continued efforts, it has not been possible to make any substantial progress.  As can be seen from published statements of the parties, an agreed basis for discussions under Ambassador Jarring's auspices does not seem to exist at the present time.  Despite this situation, we shall continue our efforts.

* A/8760

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