HC Deb 07 February 1955 vol 536 cc1551-2
33. Mr. Hale

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent the military obligations of the United Kingdom under such regional defensive pacts as she has entered into have been made subject to an overriding obligation to abide by the decisions of the United Nations Organisation.

Mr. Turton

All the regional defence treaties to which the United Kingdom is a party provide that the treaty in question does not affect the rights and obliga- tions under the Charter of the parties which are members of the United Nations.

Mr. Hale

Would the Minister tell the House what would be the position in the event of a regional treaty organisation deciding that a casus belli had arisen and the United Nations decided the following week that it had not, and in view of the fact that we have now four regional treaty organisations virtually covering the whole world, in every one of which the United States is a member, what would be the position of the United Kingdom in all these matters and how far would she have a choice?

Mr. Turton

The United Nations Organisation itself does not take the decisions. The question is referred to the Security Council. It is laid down explicitly in the Charter—I think it is Article 103—that in the event of a conflict between the obligations of members of the United Nations under the Charter and under any other international agreement their obligations under the Charter shall prevail.