Text of the Speech made by the President Mr. Arthur J. Goldberg (United State of America) in the Security Council Meeting No. 1239 held on 17 September 1965

Text of the Speech made by the President Mr. Arthur J. Goldberg (United State of America) in the Security Council Meeting No. 1239 held on 17 September 1965

May I, on behalf of the Security Council, welcome the Ministers and high officials of both India and Pakistan who have joined their delegations here today. It will, I am sure, be my pleasure in the course of our discussion of the matter before us formally to introduce the Ministers to the members of the Council. Gentlemen, you are welcome here today.

In my closing statement as President of the Security Council at our last meeting, I stressed the fearful potential in the current conflict between India and Pakistan. Since then, substantial military operations have continued, although the Council adopted two forthright and unanimous calls for a cease-fire.

In spite of the hazards intrinsic in this situation, the Secretary-General travelled promptly to the subcontinent to give effect to the mandate given to him by the Security Council in its resolution 210 (1965) of 6 September 1965, and every possible effort to give effect both to that resolution and resolution 209 (1965) of 4 September 1965, to take all possible measures to strengthen the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) and to keep the Council promptly and currently informed on the implementation of the resolutions and on the situation in the area.

You have all, I am sure, read, from the preliminary report of the Secretary-General [S/6683] and from newspaper accounts, of the intensive and arduous efforts of the Secretary. General in carrying out the mandate of this Council. And I understand that today the Secretary-General will give us a further assessment of his trip.

Again I know that I speak for all the members of the Council when I welcome the Secretary-General back from his mission of peace, on which he carried with him not only the resolutions of the Council, but also the good will, the hopes and the prayers of all people everywhere.

In light of the return of the Secretary-General yesterday, I suggested our meeting today in spite of the short space of time we have had in which to examine the preliminary report of the Secretary-General. I believe that the urgency of the situation requires us to lose no time in our deliberations on this matter, I consulted with members of the Council, who were of one mind that we should promptly reconvene to hear the Secretary-General's important report. Accordingly, I now recognize the Secretary-General.