United Nations

GENERAL
ASSEMBLY

'S flL

;'~

Nations Unies
,ASSEMBLEE

A!AC.13!SE.3

5 June 1947

GENERALE

ORIGINAL:

ENGLISH

;';.",

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SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON PALESTINE

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE TRIRD MEETING (PRIVATE)

Held at Lake Sucoess, Tu~sday, 3 June 1947, at 11:25 a.m.

Present:

Chairman:

Mr. Sandstrom

(Sweden)

Mr. Rood
(Australia)
Mr. Rand
(Ca,neda)
Mr. Lisicky
(Cz;echoslova,kia)
Mr. Garcia Grenades
(Go.e,.'tGme~lfj.) ,
.. (India)
Sir Abdur Rahman
Mr. Entezam
(Iran)
Mr. Blom
(Netherlands)

Secretartat:

Mr. UUoe

(Peru)

Mr. Fontaina
Mr. BrUeJ

(Uruguay)
(Yugoslavia)

Mr. Hoo
Mr. Garcia Rebles
Mr. Oohen

(Assi~tant Secretary-General)
(Secretary)
(Consultant)

The CHAIRMAN called the meeting to order.

1.

Adoption of the Agenda

The agenda was adopted.

2.

Pu~llcity

Concerning Arrtvalof the

S~eoial

Committee in

~alestine.

Workir.,g Paper N 6 was considered and adopted with the following

amendment proposed by Sir Abdur Bahman. (India):

that the words "to

be given" be added. at the end of , the last peragravb..

3.

'.

i
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~j

Conrd.c.eration of D1~aft Unlee of Procedure Reconunended

for Adoption
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thL~;J.l'atory ','!orkiu/7, Group.

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by

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Discusstcn followed on Working Paper N 2:

:r.
Rule 1 was

ClIAlRMAN,
ado~ted

Y.ICE~C:HA.IRMAN

AND

~APPOBTEUR

with the amendmBnt put forward by the delegate

Ifor the

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for the Netherlands, the words Hand Rapporteut"s" being added at the end
of l:l.ne 2.
:Rule 2.

After considering deletion of

this.)~1?-le,

the Corrnnittee

adoptecl it without amondll!-ep.t.

Rule 3 was adollted. without discussion.
Rule 4.

After discussion as to the meaning of Rule 31 of the

Provisional Rules of Pl"'o:)edure for the General Assembly, the rule,was

,'.

Rule 5 was adopted.

Rule 6.

After some discussion as to the responsibility Of the

Secretariat for provid.ing interpreters, Rule 6 was adopted with

.
.
substitution of the'word "interpreters ll for trin1;.erpretation".
(See document A/AC.13!7).
Ru~e

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7 was adopted.

Rule 8.

Mr. BRlLEJ (Yugoslavia) said that a complete record of

all testlll0ny should be available both to the Committee and the

General Assembly and suggested as an amendment that nVcrbatim records
shall be mad.e of all hearings 11
Mr. ENTEZAM (Iran) po:i.ntecl. out that When this Cluestion had been

discussed. in the HO;rking Group it had. been indicated' that a. very'

considerable add.itional staff vTOuld be needed if verbatim -records
were to be published.

All hearings would be taken down verbatim but

they would not necessarily be." so reproduced or pUblished.. in the

COlnmitteefB report.
Sir Abdur
testn~ony

I:UUn~r

.,"

(India) considered it essential that all

should be recorded in extenso or at least that a copy

of
.
~-,-

the Verbatim record should be made available to any representative

who asked for it.

!Mr,

HOOD

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'.'. )~, .:S;OOD (Austrelia) agreed.. thateacll!lll"lmber of tp.eCommitt~e should.

have a,yerbEltitn record of the evidence for drafti:ne .the- report.
After. considel~able discussion, an amended version of Rule 8 was

. ,adopted (See docu:nent AjAC.13/7)

Rules

9 and

10 were adopted vTithout discussion.

An e~q;.lanation was given by Hr, Gal'cia ROBLES (Secretary) of

RI"l10 11.

Ml' . COHEN (Assist3.ut Secretary -Gen~ral in

tile term "verbal briefings" .

CharGe of PUblic InforWJ.tion), vho.vlas lIresent as consultant, requested

that the Pres/il Of'i'icer viho wovld.. acco1U};lan.y the Committee to Palestine be
authorized to Give the Press a verbal briefing of meetings without
. rrevious appi'oval,bY the. Chairman.

He assured the Co:::mn1ttee that

conf:ldense could
be u1:J.ced in the'
d.iscretlon
,'~'
.of the Prt;l('ls Officer..

ttr.

ENTEZfu~ (Iran) supported

the

~ropQ8al and adde~ that if the

Press Off:t.cer proved. u...'J.VTorthy of the confident': 0 placed in him. the

Commit tee could 100;1:8' other arrangements.
I

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jvIr. Bl-OM (Netherlands). asked hmT. the system. ,vould apIJly to closed

meetinGS.
~~.

COHEN (Assistant Secretar~~General) replied that verbal briefings

vTould be given inlmediatelt after such meetings had, ad~ourned, but t,he
COnJmittee could decide that any part of its ]?roceedings should be om:l.tted
from the verbal

b~iefing

or . replaced by a conurl.unique issued by the

Chairman when necessary.

The

\.

CB1~IRV*N co~sidered

be put into effe.ct

8in~e

tbewording of Rule 11

88

it st00dcould not

it ',ms not practicable for a verbal briefing

to be "previously approved" by the Chairman.

After ftn"ther
(Se~ d,oc;\Unent

di8cussion~

an amended version of Rule 11 was adopted.

AIAC .13/7) ,

/~'Jr. eOREN'
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~1X'. COREN (Assistant Secretary-General) then asked. if radio transmissi

of important meetings migbt be mad.e and. the Committee agreed. to this

proposal.

The Committee also agreed to his Buggestion that coverage of

public meetings should. be extended. to representatives of large internationa

organizations.
V.

CONIUCT OF :BUSINESS

Rules 12 to 19 were adopted.

Rule 20.
unnecessaril~r

Mr. HOOD (Australia)' considered the.t this J3u1e was

rigid for a small committee such as the Special Committee

and favoured deletion.

Mr. Garcia

GBA~ADOS

(Guatemala) suggested deletion of part of Rule 20,

but after some discussion the Rule Was adopted without change.
Rules 21 and 22 were adopted.
Rule 23.

Considerable discussion took place on the proceaur~ involved

in this rule.
After- clarification, the Rule was adopted Without change.
VI.

Rule 24.

VOTING

During discussion of this Rule Mr. BLOH (Netherlands)

suggested that a Rule correspondinG to Rule 2J. of the PrOVisional Rules

of Procedure for the General Assembly might be ad.opted. Reference "'as also
mad.e to the role of the Chairman in
of the General Assembly Rules.

voti~~

and attention drawn to Rule 30

Mr. HOO (Assistant SecretaryiGeneral)

pointed cut that under the Rules of the

Trusteeshi~

is Chairman may ask an alternate to take his

~lace

Council a delegate who

as delegate.

After further discussion) Bule 24 was adopted without change.

IRule

25

was adopted.

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Rule 25

5'

was adopted.
At the suggestion'of Mr'~ LISICKY (Czechoslovakia) the

Rule 26.

Committee agrE,led, to d,elete the words "or by standing" and the Rule was
adopted.
Rules 27 and 28 were adopted.
VII:.. SUB -CO~TTEFS AND SECRETARIAT

Mr. BRILEJ (Yugos'lavia) asked ho~r the composition of

Rule 29.

sub~committee8

would 'be determined.

Mr. LISIC1."Y (Czechoslovakia) 'conl3ider~d that sub-committees ,would

be selected, like the Srecial Committee itself, on the basis of country

and not of person.
The CRAIR1~N suggeeted that the composition of any sub~committee
might be determined by the natUre "of 'bhe qUestion under review.

Mr. ENTEZAM (Iran) agreed that members of any sub-cornmi ttee would
represent their respective governments but he considered that in choosing
a given sub-oonnnj.ttee the Comi ttee would have regard for personal
competence.

He emphasized that a sub-oommittee would not take deCisions

but would report findings to the Committee.

Mr. BRILEJ (YugoslaVia) considered that eachrnember of theComrnittee,
had equal responsibilities which could be

disch~rged,

only if each member

had the same right of paX'ticipation in all activitles of" the COIl1.lnittee.
Mr. Gareia GEANADOS (Gue.temala) referred to the practice of the Pan",:Americ&P

Union which enables any delegate, upon

l.~equest,tQ

pa.rticipate in a.ny

13 ub-conuni ttee.

Mr. HOOD (Australia) indicated that a similar practice had been

followed by the Commission Of Investigation concerning: Greek Frontier
I

Incidents established oy tpe Security

C~uPcil.

IOn
i;

the proposal

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On the proposal of Mr. E:NTEZAM (Iran), the committee agreed to

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adopt RU1~ 29 as it stood, with the understanclii:lg that: any member of the
','

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Committee lnight particiPa"te in the' work of any s~b-'cornrlli ttee . "

Rule 30 was adopted with minor drafting changes (see document

ac

A!f;.C.13/7) ,
VIII.

LIAISON OFFICERS AND iNTERROGATION OF WITNESSES

The CflAIRMAN pointed o~t that this Rule had 'been adopted at -the
second meeting of the Committee (see documentA!AC.13/7:
DC.

Rule 31):

ORAL AND WRITTEN TESTIMONY

The CHAIRMAN indicatod that these 'Rules had also be~n'~doPted at the
"

second meeting of the.. Committee (see document A!AC.13/i:

.

"

Rules 32-37)

;x: AMENDMENTS
,Rule 31 was adopted with the addition of the words "or suspended"
after "amended".
;

"

The Corumittee agreed to reconvene at 3: 30

p. m..

and the meeting wae

suspended at 2:10 p.m.

(The meeting reopened at 3:40 p.m.).

The CRAIBlvfAN

b~gaI).

the discussion,with a reference to tho provision

regarding .liaison o,fficers as set out in RUle 31 of the Committee's

Provisional Rules of Procodure.

Re suggested that in order to avoid

possible uncextainty concerning the applicability of the Rule to the

Palestine Government the words "the Mandatory Power" might be deleted fron
the Rule,.
Sir ABDUR RARMAN (India) considered that no distinction should be

madebetvreen the three parties mentioned in Rule 31.

IM:r.

LISICKY

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M!:'. LISICKY (Czechoslovakia.) consid.ered thore

'HCS

no rcnl distjnction

in prc.ctice between tho Mandatory Powor and tho Polestj.ns Gov6:rnmont.

The CHAlR1'v1AN snid thut Ilny noccssary f'.djuatI!lonts could doubtloss be

discussod Intor and withdrow his proposal.
Documentc.t ion
Apart from the documents preparod by the Socrotariat} and those .which
the Mandatory Powor would place at the disposal of tho Committoo} tho
OHAIR~~N

asked whether mombors dosired to aPfoint any specially qualified

persons to assist them in their work.

Most membors of tho Committoe u.grood that the appointment of t,,:o
experts on PnJ.E;stJ.nicn probloma would be of groat
Si~

DOB istonce}

and

ABDUR BARMAN (India) suggested that tAo persona appointed should be

selocted from different groups so

00

to holp tho Conmittoo to form on

unbiased opinion.
TheCHAIR~AN

asked hethor somo names

was decided to postpone selection

lli~til

tho

~ight

bo GUegootcd but it

Corr~itteo

was in n position

to bo ;Informed roglrding quc.lificotions of pOss iblo D.pIJointcos.

Mr. Goroiu ROBLES (Socrctury) referred to the threo volumos of

documQntnticn prepared by the Secretariat and suegostod that Volume I

(0 list of documents available in the Referonca Library on Pclostino

togethor with subject indox) might bo oxarninad by the dologates.

If

thoy. dosirod ony additional documonts to be mado avciloblo} the Socroturiut

woul~

so' arrange.

Mr.

ROOD (Australia) said that ho hod boon roceiving no doubt in

co~on ~ith

other

Secrotoriat

mc~bers

ef the Committeo and perhaps. with the

writton material in rogCll'd to Palestine.

He asked whether

arrangements o:xJ.stod :for sucP. material to be 0xmn:tnod and circulated to

tho COILll1ittee.

/Mr.

Gorc1a IlOBLES

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AI:
Pa

"arty 'a:PI'ro':Pria te documents

, Mr: '", G~rcia I\O:J;3I~S (Secretal"y' y eta ted t1w t

<.',':"

":

:""'Bceived wQuld ''be made available.'

lIJr. I"ISPICKY (CzechQsJ.ovakia) enq,ul::ed

whether any material, subssclt:ten"t
I
c'

to the Anglo-American CoIDItd ttee 1 s Report 1 "tas available concerning the .'
current situtation in Palestine.
After. some dj,s'cussion i t 'Vras agreed.. that the Secretai~iat should
~r8pare,a ~ap8r giving information on the most recent developnents in

Palost;l.ne.

Mr. HOOD (Australia) aslced who t "TOuld be the' Secretariat IS pToced.ur6

for circulating documontation.

Mr. Garcla RaBIES (Secretary) reg,uested the vi8'';s of the Committee

regard.ing the size of the Secretariat . staff which he said would. have to
be cousidGrably increased if cOllies, of all docuroonts were to be provided.

to each merrfber of the Co1lJ]jJj. ttee. - He referred to RUle 37 of the Provisiona.l

I

Rules of' :Procedure w:bichimplied that written testimony vrould be first

investigated by a su:b -co.l1lTIlittee "for study and. report".

Mr. ENTEZAM(Iran) pointed out that members of such a sUb-c'omrnittee

would. 'req,uire copies of' eaoh d.ocurnent.

The understandi,ng ,vas reaobed that dOCtlLlents would be made available

as reg,uired. by: :the need.s of the Cornml ttee.

Itinerary In Palestine

TlleCHA:rnMAN wished to have the sanse of' the Oommittee 'on his proposaJ

that some brief exoursions into the country should be made from Jer'usa'lem.
,Jhortly after arriyal in order that memberS might become fanullar with

general conditions and have

I.
:

an

opporturiitJ"

to' test

out public opinion~

The Committee agreed with 'the Chairuanls proposal.

'

-X

Schedule of Meet!ngs of the

Go~ttee

Erio!' to

d~1Jart1J.r~

f,or

~.;JE.!tine

Nr. HOO (Assistant Secretary'-General) suggested that theCoIlllU.i. t'te~

m:l.e;ht ,not wish to meet .again until Sa turda.y J 7 June in order

to allow
,
t.ime for ;roeplies to be received a.nd circulated from organizations rel;j:uest:L
foral
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oral hearings.
adain on Friday,

After further diocussion, the

Co~ittee

decided to meet

6 June, at 3.30 p. Ul. in Conferenc e Room 7.

The Committee then disr;ussed with Hr. Ale]~and.er (Administrative Officer)

a.rrangcments for the jOUl:'11sy to Palestine.
The meeting adjourned at 5.00 p.m.

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