INSTRUCTIONS TO CANADIAN DELEGATION TO THE 14TH SESSION
OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
(PREVIOUS REFERENCE SEPTEMBER 2)

6. The Secretary of State for External Affairs submitted instructions for the delegation to the 14th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. These followed broadly the policies approved for the last two sessions of the General Assembly. In the event that any departure from established policies appeared to be desirable during the course of the coming session of the Assembly, further instructions would be requested.

The matters covered in the proposed instructions included Elections to the Security Council, Disarmament, the Hungarian Question and Hungarian Credentials, Chinese Representation, Outer Space, Algeria, Palestine Refugees, the Korean Question, the United Nations Emergency Force, Questions of Dependent Territories and International Covenants of Human Rights.

An explanatory memorandum had been circulated, (Minister's memorandum, Sept. 8 - Cab. Doc. 272-59)

7. Mr. Green added that he hoped to be able to secure the release of General Burns from U.N.E.F. so that he could serve as Canada's representative on the proposed new disarmament committee. The Algerian problem might be particularly difficult.

8. During the discussion each of the items mentioned was discussed briefly. In the case of Algeria it was thought advisable not to adopt firm views until the delegation had an opportunity of sizing up the situation in New York. It would hardly be possible to vote against inscription of the Algerian question on the Assembly's agenda. In the end, however, Canada would have to support France on issues of real substance. South Africa's position would again be difficult, but everything possible should be done to support her. It would not take much for South Africa to refuse to attend U.N. meetings or to withdraw from the Commonwealth.

9. The Cabinet,
(a) approved the instructions for the Canadian Delegation to the 14th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations as submitted by the Secretary of State for External Affairs, reserving, however, the position on the Algerian question until the delegation had had an opportunity of assessing the situation in New York; and

(b) agreed that the Secretary-General of the United Nations be approached to ascertain if Lieutenant-General E.L.M. Burns could be released from his duties with the United Nations Emergency Force in order to serve as Canada's representative on the proposed ten-member disarmament committee.

¹⁶Le secrétaire général a accepté de relever le lieutenant général Burns de ses fonctions à la FUNU, et l'Assemblée générale a pris acte de cette décision dans sa résolution 1442 (XIV). Voir Yearbook of the United Nations 1959 (New York: United Nations, 1960), p. 46.
The Secretary-General agreed to the release of Lieutenant-General Burns from his duties with UNEF, a decision subsequently noted by the General Assembly in its Resolution 1442 (XIV). See Yearbook of the United Nations 1959 (New York: United Nations, 1960), p. 46.