200 POLITICAL AND SECURITY QUESTIONS "2. Urges the parties concerned to act with the CONSIDERATION BY SECURITY COUNCIL utmost restraint and to make determined efforts with (15 DECEMBER 1966) a view to achieving the objectives of the Security SECURITY COUNCIL, meeting 1338. Council; S/7633, S/7634, S/7636. Requests by Greece, Turkey "3. Extends the stationing in Cyprus of the United Nations Peace-Keeping Force, established under the and Cyprus to participate in Council's debate. S/7635. Argentina, Japan, Jordan, Mali, Nigeria, Security Council resolution of 4 March 1964, for a Uganda, Uruguay: draft resolution. period of six months ending 26 December 1966, in the RESOLUTION 231(1966), as proposed by 7 powers, firm hope that by the end of this period substantial S/7635, adopted unanimously by Council on 15 progress towards a solution will have been achieved December 1966, meeting 1338. so as to render possible a withdrawal or a substantial reduction of the Force." "The Security Council, "Noting from the report of the Secretary-General of COMMUNICATIONS FOR PERIOD 8 December 1966 (S/7611 and Corr.1 and Add.1) 16 JUNE-15 DECEMBER 1966 that in the present circumstances the United Nations S/7374. Letter of 23 June 1966 from Cyprus. Peace-Keeping Force in Cyprus is still needed if peace S/7375 and Corr.1. Letter of 23 June 1966 from is to be maintained in the island, Turkey. "Noting that the Government of Cyprus has agreed S/7376 and Corr.1. Letter of 21 June 1966 from that in view of the prevailing conditions in the island Secretary-General to Governments containing furth- it is necessary to continue the Force beyond 26 De- er appeal for voluntary contributions for financing cember 1966, of UNFICYP. "1. Reaffirms its resolutions 186(1964) of 4 S/7377, S/7378. Letters of 24 June 1966 from Turkey. March, 187(1964) of 13 March, 192(1964) of 20 S/7396. Letter of 2 July 1966 from Cyprus. June, 193(1964) of 9 August, 194(1964) of 25 Sep- S/7418. Report by Secretary-General dated 20 July tember and 198(1964) of 18 December 1964, 201 1966 on situation in Cyprus. (1965) of 19 March, 206(1965) of 15 June, 207 S/7439. Letter of 28 July 1966 from Turkey. (1965) of 10 August and 219(1965) of 17 December S/7457. Letter of 12 August 1966 from Cyprus. 1965, 220(1966) of 16 March and 222(1966) of 16 S/7465. Letter of 17 August 1966 from Turkey. June 1966, and the consensus expressed by the Presi- S/7467. Letter of 20 August 1966 from Cyprus. dent at the 1143rd meeting on 11 August 1964; S/7473. Letter of 23 August 1966 from Turkey. "2. Urges the parties concerned to act with the S/7475, S/7499. Letters of 24 August and 19 Septem- utmost restraint and to continue determined co-opera- ber 1966 from Cyprus. tive efforts to achieve the objectives of the Security S/7505, S/7507, S/7527. Letters of 23 September and Council; 3 October 1966 from Turkey. "3. Extends once more the stationing in Cyprus S/7531. Letter of 6 October 1966 from Cyprus. of the United Nations Peace-Keeping Force, estab- S/7532. Letter of 4 October 1966 from Secretary- lished under Security Council resolution 186(1964), General to Governments containing further appeal for a further period of six months ending 26 June for voluntary contributions for financing of 1967, in the expectation that sufficient progress to- UNFICYP. wards a solution by then will make possible a with- S/7538. Letter of 10 October 1966 from Turkey. drawal or substantial reduction of the Force." S/7631. Letter of 10 December 1966 from Turkey. SUBSEQUENT COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORT OF SECRETARY-GENERAL REPORT BY SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PERIOD S/7643. Note by Secretary-General dated 20 Decem- 11 JUNE-5 DECEMBER 1966 ber 1966. S/7611 and Corr.1 and Add.1. Report by Secretary- S/7645. Letter of 20 December 1966 from Turkey. General dated 8 December 1966 on United Nations S/7969. Report by Secretary-General dated 13 June Operation in Cyprus (for period 11 June to 5 1967 on United Nations Operation in Cyprus (cov- December 1966). ering period of 6 December 1966 to 12 June 1967). CHAPTER XIV QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE ORGANS OF THE UNITED NATIONS, MEMBERSHIP AND THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER APPOINTMENT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL The term of office of U Thant as Secretary- expire on 3 November 1966, an item entitled General of the United Nations being due to "Appointment of the Secretary-General of the QUESTIONS RELATING TO UNITED NATIONS ORGANS, MEMBERSHIP AND CHARTER 201 United Nations" was placed on the agenda of Members of the Organization, the Secretary- the twenty-first regular session of the General General continued, were surely aware of his Assembly which opened on 20 September 1966. abiding concern for peace. The state of affairs In a statement addressed to the members of the in South-East Asia was a source of grave con- Security Council and to all Permanent Repre- cern, not only to the parties directly involved sentatives of the United Nations on 1 September, and to the major powers, but also to other Mem- the Secretary-General, U Thant, said that he bers of the Organization, as it was to him per- had decided not to offer himself for a second sonally. The cruelty of that war and the suffer- term as Secretary-General, and to leave the Se- ing it caused the people of Viet-Nam were a curity Council unfettered in its recommendation constant reproach to the conscience of human- to the Assembly with regard to the next Secre- ity. For many months, it had seemed to him that tary-General. It was his belief, as he had said the pressure of events was remorselessly leading more than once in the past, that a Secretary- towards a major war, while efforts to reverse General of the United Nations should not nor- that trend were lagging disastrously behind. The mally serve for more than one term. Secretary-General considered that the tragic In his statement, the Secretary-General also error was being repeated of relying on force and referred to some of the problems which the Or- military means in a deceptive pursuit of peace. ganization had had to face since he was first He was convinced that peace in South-East appointed, but he stressed that he did not wish Asia could be obtained only through respect for to relate them to the variety of considerations— the principles agreed upon at Geneva in 1954 personal, official and political—which had in- and for those contained in the Charter. He also fluenced his own decision. expressed a sense of dissatisfaction with the fact While the financial solvency of the Organiza- that the Organization had not yet achieved uni- tion had not yet been assured, he said there was versality of membership. no longer the same sense of crisis and anxiety on Many of the problems facing the world today, that score and he remained hopeful that substan- he added, became more intractable because of tial voluntary contributions would be forthcom- this circumstance. This, for example, was true ing which would place the Organization on a of the lack of progress in such vital fields as basis of complete solvency so that it could face disarmament. the great tasks ahead with confidence. It thus happened that, owing mainly to the In respect of peace-keeping, the Secretary- international situation and to circumstances be- General observed, the promise held out by the yond the control of the Organization, no decisive demonstrated usefulness and success of the Or- progress had been made by Member Govern- ganization's extensive operations in recent years ments in the co-operative efforts which were had remained unfulfilled because of the continu- essential if the Organization was to serve effec- ing failure to agree on basic principles. In his tively the cause of peace and to contribute sig- judgement, the Secretary-General said, it was nificantly to the economic development of the important that the United Nations, in conform- poorer regions of the world. ity with the United Nations Charter, should be In conclusion, the Secretary-General expressed enabled to function effectively in that field. his abiding and unshakable faith in the United No less important was the task of peace-build- Nations and in its ultimate success. Despite the ing. In this regard, he noted that the United difficulties facing the Organization, he believed Nations Development Decade, while it had and hoped that the world would continue its fallen short of its modest objectives, had stimu- efforts to develop the United Nations as an in- lated the efforts of the United Nations to equip dispensable instrument for the attainment of a itself with more effective means—the consoli- peaceful and just world order—a task to which dated United Nations Development Programme, he pledged his personal support and whole- the United Nations Conference on Trade and hearted devotion. Development, and the United Nations Industrial Following a Security Council meeting held in Development Organization—of tackling some of private on 29 September, it was announced that the basic problems of development. there was a consensus that the Council members 202 POLITICAL AND SECURITY QUESTIONS welcomed a statement made by the Secretary- cision which the entire Organization would be General [at a press conference] on 19 Septem- able to welcome. ber that he was ready to consider serving until In response, the Secretary-General said it the end of the General Assembly's twenty-first gave him particular pleasure to accept the ex- session, and that, taking into account the great tension because, as he had explained before, he positive role played by the Secretary-General, did not believe it advisable, under normal cir- U Thant, in the activities of the United Nations, cumstances, to change the Secretary-General the Council members further expressed their while the Assembly was in session.