Cablegram United Nations 376 NEW YORK, 21 August 1946, 4.50 p.m.
SECRET
Security 141.
As instructed, the following reservation by the Australian Government has been made to the report by the Membership Committee.
Begins:
As stated in the Security Council on 22nd and 23rd May, 1946, the Australian Government takes the view that the procedure adopted by the Security Council in regard to the admission of new members is incorrect and that applications should be dealt with in the first instance by the General Assembly. As the required majority of the Security Council decided to establish the Committee on new members, Australia, as a member of the Security Council, participated in the work of the Committee, but participation and the approval of the Committee’s report are not regarded as limiting in any way the right of the Australian Government to re- open the procedural question if it thinks fit. Further, the fact that an application for membership has or has not been considered by this Committee is not regarded as excluding such application from consideration by the General Assembly. Because of the views of the Australian Government regarding the correct procedure and its views regarding the Committee’s functions, the Australian representative limited his participation in the Committee’s work to assisting the Committee to obtain information concerning applications, and Australia does not feel that it is called upon at this stage to pronounce either in favour or against applicants and hence has not declared its attitude towards any application.
On the information at present available to it, the Australian Government would be prepared at the proper time to support the application of Eire, Sweden, Trans-Jordan and Afghanistan. This should not be taken as an indication that at the proper time Australia will not support the application of any or all other applicant states.
Ends.
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[AA:A1067, M46/1/5]