Adoption of draft letter to delegations taking part in the Paris Conference – UNCCP 260th meeting (Paris) – Summary Record

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTIETH MEETING

Held in the Hôtel de Crillon, Paris,
on Wednesday, 31 October 1951, at 4:30 p.m.

DRAFT LETTER FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE DELEGATIONS TAKING PART IN THE PARIS CONFERENCE

The CHAIRMAN submitted to the Commission a draft prepared by the Secretariat of a letter to be addressed to the delegations taking part in the Paris conference.

After reading the draft text the Chairman suggested deleting, at the beginning of the second paragraph, the words “As Your Excellency will recall…” which seemed to him superfluous.

Mr. MARCHAL (France) suggested redrafting the second paragraph, which in its present form drew attention to a point that it was inadvisable to stress. He proposed that it should be drafted as follows: “In its letter of 6 October 1951 to the delegations, the Commission took note of the results of the discussions held concerning the preamble to its proposals.”

The CHAIRMAN remarked that it seemed necessary to mention the fact that the Commission considered that the declarations made by the parties formed a basis for consideration of its proposals, and Mr. BARCO (United States) said that the two texts might be combined by adding the following words to the sentence proposed by Mr. Marchal “…and concluded that a basis existed for the consideration of those proposals”.

It was so decided.

With regard to the fourth paragraph., the CHAIRMAN, Mr. MARCHAL ( France) and Mr. ARAS (Turkey) all proposed drafting changes which were approved without discussion.

The last paragraph of the draft letter was the subject of an exchange of views during which the Principal Secretary drew attention to a drafting change made in the first sentence by the Secretariat, and the Chairman proposed a slight drafting change.

The Chairman also suggested changing the order in which the various documents reviewed by the Commission were enumerated. The sentence in question should, he suggested, read as follows “After reviewing the records of its meetings, the affirmations of peaceful intent made by the parties and the Commission’s correspondence with the parties,…”

It was so decided.

The draft letter was then approved, with the various drafting changes that had been made.

Mr. FISHER (Political Officer) asked whether the Commission thought it advisable to communicate the text of the letter to the press.

After an exchange of views, it was decided that the letter from the Commission to the delegations taking part in the Paris conference would be communicated to the press the following afternoon.

The meeting rose at 5.10 p.m.