The U.N. Implementation Commission, which is charged with carrying out the decision of the General Assembly to partition Palestine into Jewish and Aral states, was assured today that it can depend on the “fullest” aid from the Security Council should such assistance be necessary.
The assurance was given by U.N. Secretary-General Trygve Lie, addressing the first meeting of the five-nation implementation group. He expressed confidence that the Commission Will “surmount all obstacles” and will “take all necessary measures reading to the establishment in Palestine, not later than October 1, 1948, of an independent Arab state and an independent Jewish state.” Mr. Lie also pledged to the members of the Commission “every resource” at the disposal of the United Nations to make their work a success.
The Commission elected Karel Lisicky of Czechoslovakia as permanent chairman and Rael Diez de Medina of Bolivia as vice-chairman. It decided to invite representatives from the Mandatory power, the Jewish Agency and the Arab Higher Committee “to designate such representatives as they may determine, who shall be available to the commission for such authoritative information and other assistance as the Commission say require in the discharge of its functions under the resolution of the General assembly on the Palestine question.”
INDICATION OF MILITARY BACKING SEEN IN LIE’S STATEMENT
The statement by Mr. Lie to the members of the Commission was taken here as an indication that the U.N. implementation body can expect military backing from some of the Big Powers. Mr. Lie pointed out that not only was the partition decision adopted by more than the necessary two-thirds majority of the Assembly, but also that it enjoyed the support of the majority of the five Great Powers.
“Your mandate, therefore, is firm and clear,” the U.N. Secretary General said. “You are to take all necessary measures leading, to the establishment in Palestine, not later than October 1, 1948, of an independent Arab state and an independent Jewish state. The resolution of the General Assembly under which you act promises to you the full authority of the United Nations in discharging your responsibility. You Are entitled to be confident that in the event it should prove necessary, the Security Council will assume its full measure of responsibility in implementation of the assembly’s resolution, You have the right to assume, as I assume, that in such a situation the Security Council will not fail to exercise, to the fullest and without exception, every necessary power entrusted to it by the Charter in order to assist you in fulfilling year mission.
GOVERNMENTS URGED NOT TO HAMPER REALIZATION OF PARTITION DECISION
Referring to the present disturbances in Palestine, Mr. Lie pointed out that disorders of this kind have been endemic in Palestine for some years now, He celled to the attention of the members of the Commission fact that the resolution of the {SPAN}##ral{/SPAN} Assembly appealed to all governments and to all peoples to refrain from taking action which might hamper or delay the carrying out of the partition decision.
“I trust, and I know you trust, that this appeal, which represents the will of vast majority of the members of the United Nations, will not go unheeded, “he##. He outlined the following as the most difficult tasks confronting the Commission:
1. The establishment of the frontiers of the Arab and Jewish states and the ## of Jerusalem in accordance with the general lines of the Assembly’s recommendation on partition.
2. The progressive assumption of responsibility for the administration of Palatine as the Mandatory Power evacuates the country, pending the establishment of independent states.
3. The establishment of Provisional Councils of Government in the Arab and wish states and the direction of their activities in the transitional period.
4. The approval of election regulations governing democratic elections to constituent Assemblies in, each state; and the appointment of the. Preparatory Economic commission which is to pave the way for the Economic Union and the Joint Economic Hard, envisaged in the resolution.
The Commission, after hearing the opening address of the Secretary-General, decided to hold a number of closed meetings to consider a plan of work. It also decided that its officers should retain their posts until Oct. 1, 1948, the date set the Assembly resolution as the deadline for the establishment of the independent wish and Arab states. ‘
CHAIRMAN LISICKY PLEDGES TO EXECUTE U.N. PARTITION DECISION
Karel Lisicky, in his opening statement as chairman, pledged that the Commission would do its best to execute the partition decision. “But,” he added, “no one an expect miracles from five lonely pilgrims who are armed at present with no more man the U.N. flag, end moral authority.” His statement was seen by observers as a ?eiled plea for the necessity of military backing.
Per Federspiel of Denmark, another member of the Commission, replying to Mr. ?ie, declared he was confident that “we have the full weight of the United Nations behind our work.”
One of the urgent problems facing the Commission is to arrange with the British Government for tae arrival of the group and its staff to Palestine in time to set up provisional governing councils by the April 1 deadline fixed by the Assembly. A British spokesman said that while Sir Alexander Cadogan, head of the British delegation at the United Nations was ready to meet with the Commission, he will urge its members to wait until late April or early May before entering Palestine.
Chairman Lisicky declared this afternoon that the Commission will decide on the date of its arrival in- Palestine after consultation with representatives of the British Government. He made it clear that the Commission would proceed to Palestine only after a plan of operation has been worked out at Lake Success. The demand that the U.U. Commission should “proceed at once” to Palestine “to halt further disorder” and to “serve notice that the U.N. decisions must be respected and will be enforced,” was voiced today in a statement issued by the American Jewish conference. The Hebrew Committee of National Liberation addressed a communication the U.N. Secretariat asking Security Council action to terminate strife in Palatine.
The Trusteeship Council’s working committee on Jerusalem today began consideration of the joint report of its two groups of experts on a draft statute for the international regime of the city. The committees gave a first reading to the first of the 49 articles listed in the report, covering such matters as boundaries, functions of the Trusteeship Council, the maintenance of the city’s territorial ?egrity, demilitarization, neutrality and the preservation of order, and citizens ?P.
George Barnes, chief of the press department of the United Nations, was tonight pointed press liaison officer for the Implementation Commission. He will accompany a body to Palestine. The appointment indicates the intention of the U.N. Secretariat to place its top ranking officials at the disposition of the Commission.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
