220. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Cleveland) to Secretary of State Rusk1

SUBJECT

  • Enlargement of the Security Council

Discussion

Following your discussion with the Nigerian Foreign Minister you asked that the legal people take a new look to see if there is any way of enlarging the Security Council without amending the Charter. Their conclusion is negative and the alternatives short of full membership they suggest as possibilities are not promising (Tab A).2

In this situation and given the history of our efforts to enlarge the Council (also described in Tab A) the only solution to the problem created by the Afro-Asian demand for greater opportunities of representation seems to lie in 1) continued pressure on the USSR to permit enlargement and 2) pending enlargement, an adjustment in the geographic allocation of elective seats on the Council. As you will recall, the Nigerian Foreign Minister made it clear that he would seek to pre-empt for Africa at the [Page 482] forthcoming General Assembly either the West European seat or one of the Latin American seats. Neither would be in the United States interest. He has also evidenced some interest in seeking enlargement of the Council (Tab B).3 In view of his insistence at the 15th General Assembly on coupling immediate reallocation of existing seats with enlargement, however, it is not clear that he is now prepared to concentrate on enlargement to the exclusion of reallocation.

The readjustment that would do the least damage to the Western position in the Council, provide a seat each for black Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, and maintain the maximum pressure on the USSR would be to shift the Commonwealth seat to Africa and the East European seat to Asia. The difficulties in this proposal are 1) that the Afro-Asians have been reluctant to put pressure on the USSR by depriving Eastern Europe of its seat and 2) that the British have been reluctant to let the Commonwealth seat go. However it appears from my recent consultations in London that they may now be prepared to consider this possibility. A decision to make this concession might be used to persuade the Afro-Asians that Eastern Europe should also be denied its seat so long as the USSR blocks enlargement. This plan could, however, not be put into effect until the 18th General Assembly when elections will be held to fill both the Commonwealth seat and the seat originally allocated to Eastern Europe.

Adoption of this plan would in no way preclude our support of any efforts by Wachuku or others directed toward enlargement, which continues to present the only really satisfactory solution of the problem. The prospects for success of any such efforts, however, do not appear sufficiently good for us to rely upon them exclusively to head off the Afro-Asian drive for reallocation at the expense of Western Europe and/or Latin America.

Recommendation4

1.
That we promptly resume our consultations with the British on this matter and if they are responsive, extend these consultations to other friendly states with a view to a) reaching agreement on the scheme for reallocation outlined above, or some variant thereof, which could be put to friendly African and Asian delegations early in the 17th General Assembly and b) persuading the Afro-Asians thereby not to try to “raid” either the WE or LA seat at the 17th session.
2.
That we continue to encourage and support any efforts by the Nigerian Foreign Minister or others directed toward a reasonable increase in the number of non-permanent members on the Security Council.
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1960–63, 330/8–2962. Confidential. Drafted by Virginia F. Hartley on August 8 and concurred in by C. Vaughn Ferguson, Abram Chayes, Richard Friedman, George N. Monsma, James M. Ludlow, and William H. Sullivan.
  2. The memorandum, drafted in IO/UNP and L/UNA on July 31, is not printed.
  3. Telegram 175 from Lagos, August 6; not printed.
  4. Secretary Rusk initialed his approval of both recommendations.