Agenda for U. N. General Assembly Lists Report on Palestine Refugees

The Arab-Israel conflict appears on the provisional agenda of the 12th regular session of the UN general Assembly only in the perennial item of the UNRWA report on Palestine refugees. The subject, a regular feature of UN assemblies for the last eight years, is listed as item number 26 of the agenda which was published here today.

Although not inscribed yet, the broader issues of the Palestine problem will almost certainly come up for discussion as a follow up to last fall’s special session on the Middle East. It is pointed out here that technically speaking, at least, the Middle East question, which was item number 66 on the agenda of the 11th Assembly, has not been disposed of yet and discussion of this subject must either be wound up before the next Assembly is convened or be carried over to the twelfth session opening September 17.

A Lebanese spokesman at the United Nations announced officially last night the candidacy of Charles Malik, Foreign Minister of the Lebanon, for the presidency of the 12th regular session of the General Assembly. The announcement was made by Dr. Karim Azkoul, head of the department of UN affairs, in the Lebanese Foreign Ministry and a former permanent delegate to the UN, who came here on a special mission to work for Mr. Malik’s candidacy. He said that Lebanon counts on overwhelming support of the Afro-Asian group and of many other nations.

Indian diplomatic sources here said India would not follow Indonesia’s lead in withdrawing its contingent from UNEF. The decision of the Jakarta Government which was announced yesterday in a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations, had given rise to some speculation whether this move heralded similar action by other contributing nations thus precipitating the early disintegration of the UNEF.