157 at the 855Th Meeting on 1 April 1960, the Repre
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Part II 157 At the 855th meeting on 1 April 1960, the repre- COMPLAINT BY THE USSR (U-2 INCIDENT) sentative of the Union of South Africa,* who had taken INTIAL PROC EEDIKGS By cablew dated 18 May 1960, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the USSRrequested an urgent meet- also stated that the Union Government would regard ing of the Security Council to consider the question of in a serious light any resolution adopted by the aggressive acts by the United States Air Force Council in connexion with the local disturbances that against the Soviet Union, which created a threat to uni- had taken place in South Africa. Should any further versal peace. The need for immediate examination of bloodshed in South Mrica result from a decision of this question arose from the fact that United States the Council, the latter would have to accept its full military aircraft had repeatedly encroached upon the share of responsibility.jS” airspace of the USSR and the United States Government At the 856th meeting on 1 April 1960, the Security had declared these actions to be its policy, Under the Council adopted=’ the Ecuadorean draft resolution United Xations Charter the Security Council bore the by 9 votes in favour, none against, with 2 abstentions. main responsibility for the maintenance of inter- The resolution60/ read as follows: national peace and security; consequently, the USSR Government expected that it would take the necessary The Security Council, measures to halt the provocative actions which “Having considered the complaint of twenty-nine threatened the peace. Member States contained in document S/4279 and In an explanatory memorandum6A’ dated 19 May 1960, Add.1 concerning ‘the situation arising out of the the USSR Government gave the dates of the alleged large-scale killings of unarmed and peaceful demon- incursions, the kinds of aircraft used, the distance strators ag.Cnst raci.d discrimin&ion and segrcga- they penetra. +-_ -! i::to the VSSR a~! the bases from tion in the Union of South Africa’, which they had flotvn. Such premeditated acts, it NXS ftRecogni:- ir,g that such a situation h;ls be?:?brought stated, constituted a grave threat to universal peace. about by the racial policies of the Government of The USSR Government 6ad hoped that at the-meeting the Union of South Africa and the continued disregard of the Heads of State in Paris, the United Sta?es by that Government of the resolutions oftheGenera1 would condemn the aggressive acts of its Air Force, punish the perpetrators. renounce that policy, and Assembly calling upon it to revise its policies and give assurances against recurrence, However, the bring them into conformity with its obligations and United States refused to take such measures. Instead, responsibi?.ties under the Charter of the United it tried to eY.-aCzresponsibility and even sought to Nations, justify its policy in the name of its own security. “Taking into account the strong feelings andgrave Thus the threat of incursions by United States air- concern aroused among Governments and peoples craft had not been removed, nor had the danger that of the world by the happenings in the Union of such acts might lead to military clashes and the un- South Africa, leashing of a nuclear-rocket war. It was, therefore, “1. Recognizes that the situation in the Union of the duty of the United Nations to condemn these acts. South Africa is one that has led to international Failure to do so would only injure the prestige of friction and, if continued, might endanger inter- the arganization and create a threat to the peace. national peace and security; At the 857th meeting on 23 May 1960, the Council included the question in its agenda.= It was con- . “2. Deplores that the recent disturbances in the Union of South Africa should have led to the loss of sidered at the 857th to 860th meetings held between 23 and 26 May 1960. life of so many Africans and extends to the families of the victims its deepest sympathies; Decision of 26 May 1960 (860th meeting): Rejection of “3, Deplores the policies and actions of the the USSR draft resolution Government of the Union o? South Africa which .\t the 857th meeting on 23 &lay 1960, the repre- have given rise to the present situation; sentative of the USSR submitted a draft resolution%’ “4. Calls upon the Government of the Union of under which the Security Council would have con- South Africa to initiate measures aimed at bringing demned the incursions by the United States aircraft about racial harmony based on equality in order to into the territory of other States as aggressive acts ensure that the present situation does not continue and requested that the United States Government adopt or recur, and to abandon its policies of apartheid immediate measures to halt such acts and prevent and racial discrimination; their recurrence. In introducing his proposti, the representative of the USSR reviewed the incident and “5. Requests the Secretary-General, in consulta- recalled previous protests and warnings about them. tion with the Government of the Union of South Until the current crisis-. , the USSR Government h;ld .\frica, to make such arrangements as would ade- conceded the possibilic- that these provocative acts quately help in upholding the purposes and principles represented irresponsible behaviour by military cir- of the Charter and to report to the Security Council whenever necessary and appropriate. ” 61/ S/4314, ibid., p. 7. w 855th meeung- . paras. 15, 23, 20. !& S/4315, Ibid., pp. T-10. 59/ 856th meeting: para. 56. 63/ 857th meeting: para. 9. 601 S/d300, O.R, 15th year, Suppl. for April-June 1960, pp. l-2. W S/4321, 857th meeting: para. 99. cles in the United States and that the. United States a draft resolution for the consideration of the Council Government, particularly its President, was not with the request that it be included as an item in the directly involved. However, the policy pursued by the Council’s provisional agenda at the conclusion of the United States Government and its President was debate on the item referred to in document S/4314, finally exposed on 1 May, when they were caught in The draft resolution, after calling attention to the the act of executing a carefully-planned incursion Council’s responsibility for the maintenance of inter- into the USSR for aggressive purposes. Instead of national peace and security and noting the disappoint- publicly announcing its intention to halt this policy, ment caused by the failure of the Summit Conference, as the USSR Government had expected, the United (1) recommended that the Governments concerned States declared such incursions into territories of seek a solution of existing international problems by other States to be its official policy, personally ap- negotiation or other peaceful means& (2) appealed proved by its President in the name of the “open to all Member Governments to refrain from any action skies” plan. The LSSR Government was submitting which might increase tension; (3) requested that the the question to the Council out of a belief that one of Governments concerned continue l their efforts to the most dangerous concomitants of these acts was achieve a constructive solution of the question of that they flouted the principle of State sovereignty and general and complete disarmament, and (4) urged territorial inviolability. Because of the international the Governments of the Four Great Powers to re- situation and the existence of weapons of unpre- sume discussions as soon as possible and to avail cedented destructive power, there was also the danger themselves of the assistance of the Security Council that the Soviet Union would have every reason to draw and other organs of the United Kations. the conclusion from the invasion of USSR territory by At the 861st meeting on 26 May 1960, the Council United States aircraft that an act of aggression was decided9 without vote to include in its agenda the occurring and to deal the aggressor a retaliatory item: blow . 65/ “Letter dated 23 May 1960 from the representatives At the same meeting, the representative of the United of Argentina, Ceylon, Ecuador and- Tunisia ad- States denied that the United States had committed dressed to the Pcesident of the Security CGncil aggressive acts against the Soviet Union or any other (S/4323) = country and asserted that the activities protested by the Soviet Union had no aggressive intent but rather The Council cclsidered the question at its 861st to were to assure the safety of the United States and 863rd meetings held on 26 and 27 May 1960. “the free world” against surprise attack by a Power which boasted of its ability to devastate the United Decision of 27 May 1960 (863rd meeting): States and other countries by missiles armed with 0i Recommending that Governments concerned atomic warheads. He asserted further that the over- seek solutions of existing international pro& flights “were suspended after the recent incident lems by negotiation or other peaceful means; and are not to be resumed”, rejectedSoviet assertions and requesting that they continue their efforts that this suspension was “merely a ‘tactical step’with torvards disarmament and the prohibition of the ‘object of deluding world opinion’” and proposed nuclear weapons tests; that the two countries negotiate anWopen skies” treaty (ii) Appealing to all Member Governments to re- to obviate the need for resort to such measures. frain from the use or threat of force in their Soviet use of force on several occasions in violation in terna tional relations; to respect each other’s of Article 2 (4) of the Charter, together with its in- sovereignty, territorial integrity and political sistence on secrecy, justified resort to measures of independence; and to refrain from any action .