Two draft resolutions were submitted to the General Assembly Tuesday, both aimed at thwarting the American order to close the Palestine Liberation Organization’s observer mission to the United Nations in New York, effective March 21.
The American order stems from legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Reagan on Dec. 22. The United Nations maintains that it violates the 1947 Headquarters Agreement between the United Nations and its host country, the United States, and is seeking to take the matter to arbitration.
The General Assembly opened a special session Monday to debate the issues and is expected to vote on the resolutions Wednesday. They are sponsored by more than a score of Arab, Third World and Communist bloc countries.
The two drafts differ in their technical approach to the problem. One would ask the General Assembly to seek an advisory opinion from the World Court in The Hague as to whether the United States, as a party to the Headquarters Agreement, is obliged under international law to enter into arbitration.
The other wants the General Assembly to call on the United States “to abide by its treaty obligations and to provide assurances that no actions will be taken that would infringe on the current arrangement for the official functions of the Permanent Observer Mission of the PLO to the U.N. in New York.”
It does not mention the Would Court. According to diplomatic sources here, some countries, though supportive of the PLO, may have reservations about involving the World Court, which could explain why the sponsors decided to submit two resolutions.
U.S. AGAIUST ARBITRATION
Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar reported to the General Assembly that efforts to resolve the dispute amicably were deadlocked and that he had invoked the arbitration procedure under the Headquarters Agreement. But he noted that the United States is not in a position to enter into arbitration.
Vernon Walters, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Monday that he has not received “any specific instructions” from Washington and that the United States has not reached a decision yet on how to proceed.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Phyllis Oakley said Monday that the General Assembly session is “ill-timed and premature,” since the U.S. government has until March 21 to decide whether to enforce congressional legislation closing the PLO mission.
The United States was not among the 40 or more countries that have registered to speak in the debate and it is not certain whether it will address the General Assembly on the issue.
But speaker after speaker so far has taken the position that the closure order against the PLO office would be in violation of the Headquarters Agreement.
Israel, which had been scheduled to address the General Assembly Tuesday, postponed its appearance until Wednesday, just before a vote is taken. Most observers here believe the U.N.-PLO position will win overwhelming support.
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.
