General Assembly Approves Resolution on National Liberation Movements

The Special Committee of 24 concerned with activities during the 10th anniversary of the Declaration on Colonization submitted to the General Assembly today a draft resolution granting “liberation movements” participation in United Nations committees. A subsection resolved that “Representatives of liberation movements shall be invited, whenever necessary, by the United Nations and other international organizations within the United Nations system to participate in an appropriate capacity in the proceedings of those organs relating to their countries.” The Assembly approved the resolution by a vote of 86 to 5, with 15 abstentions. The United States and Britain were among those opposed. Diplomatic sources said that as the majority of the Special Committee were African nations and the resolution dealt essentially with colonization, a movement like that of the Palestinian guerrillas was probably not envisaged by the committee. Other sources noted, however. last week’s Soviet proposal to have the UN label as an aggressor any nation resisting a “national liberation movement.” That proposal was seen as an attempt by the Soviet Union to gain UN support for the Palestinian cause and improve Soviet influence in the Middle East. Another plank in the Assembly resolution calls for “all freedom fighters under detention” to be treated under the rules of the Geneva Convention of 1949.

Delegations were studying a letter submitted by Soviet Ambassador Yakob A. Malik last Friday to U Thant in which the ambassador charges that “It is Israel that is violating the terms of the cease-fire agreement.” Mr. Malik declared: “Israeli military aircraft are violating the air space of the United Arab Republic almost daily. Israeli troops within the 50-kilometer zone east of the Suez Canal are continuously building fortifications, setting up communications lines and carrying out other work using machinery and motor transport. New emplacements are being built for tanks, artillery, self-propelled guns and missile installations.” Mr. Malik stated that “All this indicates that Israel and the United States of America, which support(s) it, bear the responsibility for the fact that Mr. (Gunnar V.) Jarring (the special United Nations mediator) is in fact unable to proceed with his mission.” The Soviet Ambassador said that “The United States must make a choice with regard to its policy in the Middle East: Will it continue to encourage Israel’s reckless designs or will it really decide to implement the Security Council decision of 22 November 1967…7” The Big Four ambassadors, at the request of the Soviet delegation, put off this afternoon’s scheduled meeting until tomorrow morning. American and British spokesmen indicated that Soviet Ambassador Yakob A. Malik wanted a chance to confer before the meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrel A. Gromyko, who was expected to arrive in New York tonight.