29101957 Text of the Speech made by the President Mr. Guillaume Georges-Picot as representative of France in the Security Council Meeting No. 798 held on 29 October 1957
Text of the Speech made by the President Mr. Guillaume Georges-Picot as representative of France in the Security Council Meeting No. 798 held on 29 October 1957
As no other member of the Council wishes to take the floor. I should like now to speak as the representative of France.
The French delegation has studied very attentively the report on the India-Pakistan question [S/3821] submitted in pursuance of the resolution adopted by the Security Council on 21 February 1957 [S/3793]. It has listened equally attentively to the statements of the Parties as well as to the interventions of other members of the Council. My delegation would like, in the first place, to pay a warm tribute to the representative of Sweden for the way in which he has carried out a difficult task, and to offer him its thanks. In my capacity as President I note that the members of the Council who have participated in this debate have been unanimous in their congratulations and their praise for the manner in which he has fulfilled his mission.
As to the substance of the problem, it still subsists and, alas, in the same terms. That is an observation we have heard before, and it would be all the more discouraging if we had not heard the two parties clearly reaffirm their desire to find a peaceful solution to the question. It is this intention which, in our opinion, constitutes the most important feature of the case as it stands before us today.
For nearly ten years the Council has spared no effort to find a solution in conformity with the principles of the United Nations Charter and acceptable both to India and to Pakistan. Several resolutions have been adopted, some of them, which would have made it possible to settle the question fairly and democratically, have been accepted by the parties but have nevertheless remained up to now a dead letter. The Council cannot stand still, however, it must look forward, not backward.
Mr. Jarring's report has the merit of stressing the complexity of the question. Happily, our Swedish colleague concluded his report on an optimistic note. He said: "Despite the present deadlock, both parties are still desirous of finding a solution to the problem." [S/3821, para 22] This intention is clearly apparent in the statements made by the representatives of the two parties.
The French delegation is pleased to note that the two parties have pledged themselves again to the principle of resorting to peaceful means of settlement, which is embodied in Article 33 of the Charter. There can be no doubt that in the present instance, great difficulties impede the adoption of specific measures for achieving such a settlement. I shall not reiterate These difficulties there are, however, in addition, positive elements, as Sir Pierson Dixon and Mr. Wadsworth have very pertinently pointed out. It remains to find a way of putting them to constructive use.
The Council cannot itself devote its time to so lengthy and detailed a task, and the French delegation is, in this matter as in others, opposed to the setting up of new bodies. The Organisation has for some years, however, enjoyed the distinguished services of Mr. Frank P. Graham as United Nations representative for India and Pakistan, and we believe that the suggestion which was made that Mr. Graham should be asked to seek, with the parties, some means of bringing those positive elements into play, is a constructive proposal and one which should be given consideration.
As no other member of the Council has expressed a desire to speak this afternoon, and as those members of the Council who have not yet spoken have informed me that they do not intend to do so today, I shall, in my capacity as President, ask the representatives of the parties, that is, the representatives of India and Pakistan, if they wish to make any statement to the Council at this stage of the discussion.