L. Emergency action to assist the United Nations in the maintenance of peace and security

L. Emergency action to assist the United Nations in the maintenance of peace and security

385. In March 1951, the Economic and Social Council adopted a resolution requesting the Secretary-General of the United Nations to consult with the Specialized Agencies regarding the implementation of General Assembly Resolution 377 (V) "Uniting for Peace." the purpose of these consultations was to determine what additional specific arrangements could be made so that the Specialized Agencies would assist not only the Security Council but also the General Assembly in the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security.

386. The Conference noted that the agreement between the United Nations and FAO includes an Article VI whereby FAO agreed "to cooperate with the Economic and Social Council in furnishing such information and rendering such assistance to the Security Council as that Council may request, including assistance in carrying out decisions of the Security Council for maintenance or restoration of international peace and security. "The problem, therefore, was to extend this undertaking so as to cover not merely requests from the Security Council, but also recommendations from the General Assembly.

387. The Conference further noted that all other Specialized Agencies had already settled this problem by adopting suitable resolutions. It was unanimous in deciding to follow a similar course instead of proceeding by way of an amendment to Article VI of the Agreement between the United Nations and FAO.

388. the Conference had before it a draft resolution which the Director-General had prepared in conformity with instructions from the Council.

389. the United Kingdom delegate moved an amendment to this draft resolution, and in this amendment were subsequently incorporated two sub-amendments moved by the Canadian and Finnish delegates, respectively. the United Kingdom amendment, thus modified, proposed to delete the following fifth paragraph of the Director-General's draft:

"Declares that the Food and Agriculture Organization, on any emergency request from the Security Council or the General Assembly, will co-operate with the United Nations by furnishing it all possible information and rendering it all possible assistance, within its constitutional and budgetary limitations, with a view to ensuring the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security"

390. and to substitute for the above paragraph the following three paragraphs:

"Recalling Articles V-2 (b), and VI of the Organization's Agreement with the United Nations, in which it agrees to comply to the fullest extent practicable with any request which the United Nations may make for the furnishing of special reports, studies or information, subject to the conditions set forth in Article XV and, further, to cooperate with the Economic and Social Council in furnishing such information and rendering such assistance to the Security Council as that Council may request, including assistance in carrying out decisions of the Security Council for the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security;

"Reaffirms the intention, expressed in Article IV of the above Agreement, of cooperating in whatever further measures may be necessary to make co-ordination of the activities of the Specialized Agencies and those of the United Nations fully effective;

"Declares that the Food and Agriculture Organization will co-operate by giving immediate consideration to any emergency request of the General Assembly to determine, in the interests of the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security, what assistance can be given to the General Assembly, within the provisions of the Constitution of FAO and the limits of its Budget, due account being taken of the special position of Members of FAO who are not Members of the United Nations."

391. The Conference, after having accepted the United Kingdom amendment. adopted the following resolution, the first four and the final paragraphs of which are reproduced without change from the Director-General's original text, the fifth, sixth and seventh paragraphs being the wording suggested by the United Kingdom delegate:

Resolution No. 89
Emergency Action to Assist the United Nations in the Maintenance of International Peace and Security

The Conference

1. Noting Resolution 377 (V) of the United Nations General Assembly "United for Peace," which provides that the General Assembly may make recommendations to Members for collective measures with a view to ensuring the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security, if the Security Council fails to act;

2. Noting Resolution 363 (XII) of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations adopted at its Twelfth Session, on 14 March 1951, and the Report of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination before which, on 15 May 1951, the Secretary-General of the United Nations brought the question of emergency action;

3. Recalling that the Secretary-General was requested by the Resolution of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations to consult with the Specialized Agencies as to specific arrangements they might most appropriately make, within their constitutional and budgetary limitations, in order to furnish such information and to render such assistance in the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security as might be requested by the Security Council or the General Assembly;

4. Considering that acts of aggression and breaches of peace constitute a direct threat to those fundamental objectives for which FAO was established and which are stated in the Preamble of the Constitution of FAO;

5. Recalling Articles V-2 (b), and VI of the Organization's Agreement with the United Nations in which it agrees to comply to the fullest extent practicable with any request which the United Nations may make for the furnishing of special reports, studies or information, subject to the conditions set forth in Article XV and, further, to cooperate with the Economic and Social Council in furnishing such information and rendering such assistance to the Security Council as that Council may request, including assistance in carrying out decisions of the Security Council for the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security;

6. Reaffirms the intention, expressed in Article I V of the above Agreement, of cooperating in whatever further measures may be necessary to make co-ordination of the activities of the Specialized Agencies and those of the United Nations fully effective;

7. Declares that the Food and Agriculture Organization will co-operate by giving immediate consideration to any emergency request of the General Assembly to determine, in the interests of the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security, what assistance can be given to the General Assembly, within the provisions of the Constitution of FAO and the limits of its budget, due account being taken of the special position of Members of FAO, who are not Members of the United Nations; and

8. Requests the Director-General to communicate this Resolution to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and, through him, to the Economic and Social Council and to the General Assembly.

392. The Swiss delegation declared:

- that it could not accept any modification of the Agreement concluded between FAO and the United Nations, nor any resolution to this end adopted by the Conference;

- that it would abstain from voting on this question and requested that its abstention be recorded.

393. The delegate of Spain abstained from voting.

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