Present:
The Prime Minister
and Secretary of State for External Affairs (Mr. Diefenbaker) in the Chair,
The Minister of Finance (Mr. Fleming),
The Minister of Veterans Affairs
and Acting Minister of National Health and Welfare (Mr. Brooks),
The Solicitor General
and Acting Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys (Mr. Balcer),
The Minister of National Defence (Mr. Pearkes), The Minister of Trade and Commerce (Mr. Churchill),
The Minister of Justice
and Acting Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Mr. Fulton),
The Minister of National Revenue (Mr. Nowlan),
The Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources
and Acting Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Harkness),
The Secretary of State (Mrs. Fairclough),
The Minister of Fisheries (Mr. MacLean),
The Minister of Labour (Mr. Starr),
The Postmaster General (Mr. Hamilton),
The Minister without Portfolio (Mr. Macdonnell).
The Secretary to the Cabinet (Mr. Bryce),
The Assistant Secretaries to the Cabinet (Mr. Pelletier), (Mr. Martin).

U.N. EMERGENCY FORCE; AGREEMENT BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UNITED NATIONS

3. Mr. Fulton, on behalf of the Secretary of State for External Affairs, said that the Secretary General of the United Nations had sent a draft of a letter, intended to form the basis of a written agreement between the U.N. and Canada, concerning Canadian participation in the United Nations Emergency Force. The purpose of such an agreement was to formalize previous arrangements with regard to terms of service, etc. of national contingents in the force. The letter had been studied by the Departments of External Affairs, National Defence and Finance, some changes suggested and an agreed draft reply prepared. He submitted the text of these documents and, with the Ministers of National Defence and Finance, recommended that the Secretary-General's letter be agreed to and the reply dispatched.

An explanatory memorandum had been circulated. (Joint Memorandum, Acting Secretary of State for External Affairs, Minister of National Defence, Minister of Finance, July 18, 1957 — Cab. Doc. 154/57&dagger).

4. Mr. Fulton added that the terms of the agreement, much of which had been negotiated with Nasser, were on the whole very satisfactory indeed. Canada retained complete military jurisdiction and almost complete civil jurisdiction over her troops. About the only concession given was that Canada would not withdraw her contingent without adequate prior notification to the U.N. In time, Canada would be given due notice concerning the withdrawal of troops should they no longer be necessary.

5. The Minister of National Defence agreed that the arrangements proposed were acceptable. However, he would like to see the U.N.E.F. commitment reduced or, if possible, eliminated as soon as this was feasible. There was no military value as such to Canada participating in the force.

6. The Cabinet approved the agreement, in the form proposed, to be made with the United Nations regarding Canadian participation in the United Nations Emergency Force.³⁹

³⁹Pour le texte de la lettre du Secrétaire général et la réponse du Canada, voir Canada, Recueil des traités, 1957, N^o28.
For the text of Secretary-General's letter and the Canadian response, see Canada, Treaty Series, 1957, No.