Cablegram United Nations 259 NEW YORK, 9 July 1946, 5.27 p.m.
SECRET IMMEDIATE
Trusteeship 2.
1. The Secretary General has formally requested the following action by the Australian Government in respect of trusteeship matters.
(a) Action under Chapter XI.
(I) An expression of opinion on the factors to be taken into account in determining which are the non-self-governing territories referred to in Chapter XI of the Charter.
(II) An enumeration of the non-self-governing territories subject to Australian jurisdiction.
(III) A general indication of the form in which Australia may desire to supply information or the form in which we think information may be most usefully transmitted by the members directly concerned.
(b) Trusteeship agreements. Information regarding:
(1) Prospects for trusteeship agreement with which Australia may be concerned being submitted to the next meeting of the Assembly.
(II) The progress of negotiations of such agreements, (III) Any other information which Australia may consider useful in connection with the early inauguration of the trusteeship system.
2. Regarding (a) attention is drawn to the London Assembly Resolution on non-self-governing peoples’ and the Secretary General points out that he is now preparing the annual report. The principal purpose of his letter, however, is to obtain consideration by members of the preliminary problems indicated in his three particular requests. The Secretary General suggests for consideration that information might be supplied in the following three categories:
(a) Statement on most recent economic, social and educational developments.
(b) Report on the previous administrative year, and (c) Reports at regular intervals giving a more detailed analysis of economic, social and educational conditions.
3. Regarding (b) the Secretary General recalls the desire to bring Trusteeship Council into being at the earliest practicable time and voluntary declarations made to the Assembly by mandatory powers together with paragraph 4 of the Assembly Resolution on non-self-governing peoples. He recalls the hope that trusteeship agreements in sufficient numbers would be submitted to the September meeting to enable the Trusteeship Council to be established at that time. Up to date no agreements have been submitted and no communications concerning the progress of negotiations have been received.
4. Full texts of the Secretary General’s letters are being forwarded by airbag.
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1 Resolution 9(1) called upon the Secretary-General to include in his annual report a statement summarising information from U.N.
members relating to economic, social and educational conditions in the non-self-governing territories for which they were responsible.
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[AA:A1838/238, 306/1/1, i]