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United Nation• AD HOC POLITICAL COI)IJTTEE 2f st GENERAL MEETING ASSEMBLY SIXTH SESSION Wednesday, 12 December 19Sl,at 10.30a.m. Official Record& Palais de Chaillot, Paris CONTENTS Page Appointment of an impartial international commission under United Nations supervision to carry out a simultaneous investigation in the Federal Republic of Germany, in Berlin, and in the Soviet Zone of Germany in order to determine whether existing conditions there make it possible to hold genuinely free elections throughout these areas (A/1 938, A/AC.53/L.ll, A/AC.53/L.l3, A/AC.53/L.l3/ Add.l, A/ AC.53 /L.l4) (continued)... • . 107 Chairman : Mr. Selirn SARPER (Turkey). Appointment of an impartial international commission of those contradictory statements, the proposed investi under United Nations supervision to carry out a gation commission would provide a reasonable means of simultaneous investigation in the Federal Republic ascertaining the facts and thus assist the four occupying of Germany, in Berlin, and in the Soviet Zone of Powers in solving the larger German problem. Germany in order to determine whether existing conditions there make it possible to hold genuinely 3. The Soviet Union protest that the General Assembly free elections throughout these areas (A/1938, was not competent to deal with the question had been AfAC.53fL.ll, AjAC.53jL.13, AjAC.53jL.13/Add.1, fully answered by the United Kingdom representative A/AC.53jL.14) (continued) (15th meeting). Its further charge that the joint draft resolution violated specific articles of international [Item 65]* treaties signed by the four occupying Powers regarding a future German settlement was clearly unfounded, as 1. Mr. AL-GA YLANI (Iraq) supported the joint draft the proposed commission would not be required to deal resolution submitted by France, the United Kingdom with such matlers as boundaries, territorial readjust and the United States (A/AC.53fL.ll), because it dealt ments and reparations. Moreover, Lhe United Nations with a specific and limited aspect of the German was not being asked to order or supervise elections in problem and made a clear-cut proposal for practical Germany. On the contrary, the impartial body, if action designed ultimately to facilitate its solution. appointed, would merely assemble first-hand informa The draft resolution had been submitted upon the tion on conditions in that country as a first step toward request of the Government of the Federal Republic of the implementation of a generally agreed principle. Germany ; the sponsoring Powers were merely imple menting their declared policy of working for the unifica 4. Iraq's support of the joint draft resolution was tion of Germany along democratic lines so that it could guided solely by its desire to secure agreement between eventually participate in the peaceful association of free both Governments of Germany and was consistent with European nations. its unswerving adherence to the principles of self determination and freedom of all peoples. 2. The principle of German unification to be achieved by free all-German elections had been strongly endorsed 5. The Iraqi delegation had been gratified by the by all parties concerned, including the USSR. Iraq had majority decision (16th meeting) to invite spokesmen therefore been dismayed by the charges brought by the from both Zones of Germany, despite certain specious representatives of East Germany that the Federal arguments invoked against that move. The contra Republic was a puppet regime and that elections in the dictory evidence presented had not only been illumi western Zone would be a sham, and by the counter nating but had strengthened the case for an impartial charge of the West German spokesmen that conditions investigation of the real facts. Those who had expressed in the eastern Zone precluded free elections. In view fears that a remilitarized Germany would adopt an aggressive policy and had recalled the racial per secution practised by the forme regime should not * Indicates the item number on the General Assembly agenda. overlook the atrocities and brutalities being visited 107 A/AC.53/SR.21 ~ 108 General Assembly-Sixth Session-Ad Hoc Political Committee upon millions of Palestine refugees. The record of those monetary reforms in the western sector of Berlin. who feared a new aggressive Germany was no more To that attempt to rehabilitate western Germany unblemished than that of the German minority which the eastern sector had replied with the blockade. had been adequately punished for its crimes. Moreover, Accordingly, the Western Powers had decided that they Chancellor Adenauer had given a pledge that the Federal could no longer wait to put into effect the integration Republic of Germany would use its constitutional plans for their occupation Zones and the Federal powers to prevent a resurgence of nazism and a recur Republic of Germany had been proclaimed by the rence of the events of 1930-1933. Germans in the western Zone, only to be followed by the establishment of the German Democratic Republic 6. Mr. Al-Gaylani concluded by appealing to all the in east Germany. parties concerned and to all peace-loving nations to co-operate in reaching agreement on the three-Power 10. The division between the occupying Powers had draft resolution. produced not only two governments but two worlds of totally different character in which families were 7. Mr. PATIJN (Netherlands) emphasized that the separated and millions of refugees torn from their homes. General Assembly could play only a limited role in It was therefore natural for the German people German affairs. While its competence was not restricted throughout the country to be especially concerned by Article 107 of the Charter, which was permissive with its unification. rather than prohibitive, it could not presume to do more than the four Powers which bore the responsibility 11. The first proposal for the unification of Germany for the occupation and administration of Germany as by means of general elections had been made by the well as for its final destiny. Final decisions regarding western occupying Powers on 25 May 1950. It had Germany, including elaboration of the terms of a peace called for preliminary conversations between the four treaty, could only be taken by direct agreement between Powers with a view to drafting an electoral law for the occupying Powers, as had been done in the Berlin free all-German elections. No reply had been made blockade. to that proposal. There had followed an exchange of proposals between the Governments of the two Zones 8. Unfortunately, there seemed to be little chance of culminating in the drafting by the Government of the agreement on any of the vital issues affecting Germany Federal Republic of Germany of principles to govern on that highest political level, and the General an election procedure and in the suggestion for a United Assembly's examination of the problem before it was Nations impartial commission of investigation as a therefore subordinated, not in a legal but in a political preliminary measure. sense, to the relations between the four great Powers. Yet the future of Germany no longer depended solely 12. In the three-Power draft resolution the United upon the measure of agreement between them. De Nations was not being called upon to reconcile the velopments in Germany itself, the growing freedom of political differences between the two parts of Germany. action of the German people in shaping its future, The General Assembly would merely exercise its power would inevitably influence the ultimate solution of the under the Charter to conduct investigations ; the German problem. Until the peace treaty had been German authorities of both Zones and the occupying signed, however, that freedom of action remained Powers remained free to dispose of the proposed limited, the occupying Powers remained divided, and commission's report as they saw fit. At the same time, Germany itself was partitioned into two Governments the three-Power proposal might influence the larger both claiming to be the only legitimate representatives German issue by setting in motion new negotiations, of the German people. which appeared to be paralyzed, temporarily, by the political dead-lock among the four Powers and the 9. Two events had deeply influenced the final breach mutual distrust of the two German Governments. between the occupying Powers. First, they had failed to reach agreement on the economic unification of 13. The Netherlands delegation wondered, moreover, Germany, mainly because the Soviet Union had whether the joint draft resolution might be given a demanded payment of reparations out of current broader interpretation permitting the proposed com German production. In that connexion, it was signi mission not only to investigate conditions for free ficant that the 'representatives of the German Demo elections but also to establish principles for an election cratic Republic had mentioned the high cost of the procedure. Such a widening of the commission's terms occupation in the western Zone, but had failed to note of reference would prove that the occupying Powers 11 either the impressive help given to that Zone by the genuinely favoured German unity. Western Powers or the fact that the sums claimed by the USSR for reparations had been largely paid by the 14. The findings of the proposed commission would be eastern Zone. Secondly, the occupying Powers had submitted through the Secretary-General as a consul been severely divided after the Soviet Union attempt tative opinion, so to speak, for the consideration of in 1948 to expel the Western Powers from Berlin by a the four Powers and for the information of the other full-fledged blockade. The Mayor of the eastern sector of Members of the United Nations. Thus, the USSR view Berlin, in his remarks to the Committee (20th meeting), that decisions regarding Germany were exclusively had complained that the Western Powers had introduced within the province of the occupying Powers would 21st Meeting-12 December 1951 109 remain inviolate.