Questions re. extending Commission’s stay in Paris; Drafting 10th Progress Report – UNCCP 262nd meeting (Paris) – Summary record

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SECOND MEETING

Held in the Hôtel de Crillon, Paris,
on Monday, 5 November 1951, at 4 p.m.

Before proceeding to deal with the agenda, the members of the Commission and the Principal Secretary gave in turn brief accounts of their several conversations with the representatives of a number of delegations. It appeared from those conversations that before replying to the Commission’s letter of 31 October, the representative of Israel wished to consult with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, who was to arrive in Paris on the following day, and he asked permission to postpone his reply for twenty-four hours. The representatives of Egypt, Syria and Lebanon had also asked for a few days in which to reply.

The members of the Commission decided to accede to those requests.

(1) ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONS

The PRINCIPAL SECRETARY explained that the work of the conference raised two administrative problems. The meetings of a United Nations body away from the scene of its work, and hence any extension of those meetings, required the Secretary-General’s authorization. In the present case, the Commission would have to extend its stay in order to complete the work of the conference and prepare its report. The indications were that such an extension would be authorized. Authorization would also have to be obtained for keeping the Commission in Paris until and during the discussion in the General Assembly on the question of Palestine, but he could not give the assurance that the authorization would be granted. The Commission would have to adopt an appropriate decision and submit it to the Secretary-General for approval,

The CHAIRMAN felt that the case raised a question of principle. It was clear, as experience had shown, that during the discussion of the Palestine question in the General Assembly the presence of the members of the Commission was necessary, for it was important that members should be able to keep in touch with their delegations to the General Assembly.

On the proposal of the representative of France, it was decided that in discussing with the Secretary-General administrative questions relating to the Commission’s stay in Paris, the Principal Secretary should endeavour to leave open the possibility of the Commission’s staying in Paris until and during the discussion of the Palestine question in the General Assembly.

(2) DATE OF TRANSMITTING THE COMMISSION’S REPORT TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The PRINCIPAL SECRETARY pointed out that the Office of the Secretary-General had urged that the Commission’s report should be submitted to the Secretary-General as soon as possible in order to avoid difficulties if the Palestine question were to be one of the first items on the agenda.

The Secretariat had therefore collected the material necessary for the production of the report and was preparing a first draft which it would be possible to lay before the Commission the following day. The draft would comprise three parts: first, an account of the Commission’s work since the date of its previous progress report; second, a section dealing with the work of the conference; and third, the Commission’s conclusions. Should the conference be extended, the document would be presented in the form of a progress report and it would be pointed out that the work of the conference was continuing.

After an exchange of views during which Mr. Marchal remarked that the Commission should hold a meeting with the Relief and Works Agency before the two bodies completed their respective reports, it was decided that the Principal Secretary would make all arrangements for such a meeting and inform the Secretary-General that the Commission believed it would be able to transmit its report to him late in November.

The meeting rose at 5 p.m.