A resolution to finance the United Nations Emergency Force in the Middle East–stationed between Egypt and Israel for the second half of 1963 was approved today at the fourth special session of the General Assembly. It was approved 80 to 11 with 16 abstentions.
Israel voted for the resolution, one of seven approved this week by the Assembly’s Fifth (Budgetary) Committee. All of the Arab states except Lebanon, which also voted for the resolution, abstained. Israel also voted in favor of the resolution providing for financing of the UN operation in the Congo for the second half of 1963.
The package plan of the seven resolutions would authorize the expenditures of 42,500,000 for both peace keeping operations for the rest of 1963. Of the total approved for both operations, $9,500,000 was earmarked for UNEF, which is stationed in the Gaza Strip and in the Red Sea area.
Soviet representative Nikolai Fedorenko said that the resolutions relating to the financing of the operations of the U.N. forces on the Egyptian Israel front and in Congo were regarded by the Soviet Union as unacceptable. He declared that these resolutions could not impose any financial obligations on member states, inasmuch as these operations were not in conformity with the provisions of the Charter.
Under the Charter, the Soviet delegate argued, the Security Council had exclusive competence in matters involving the maintenance of international peace and security, including related financial questions. The resolutions were “a direct expression of the policy of the Western Powers, by-passing the Security Council and violating the Charter,” he said.
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