§ 2.48 p.m.
§ LORD COLYTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government under which Article of the United Nations Charter or under which Resolution of the Security Council it is suggested that, in certain circumstances, economic sanctions might be imposed against the Katanga Government.]
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF HOME)My Lords, my noble friend is 139 clearly referring to the publication in New York on November 29 of a report to the Secretary-General by the Officer in Charge of the United Nations operation in the Congo. This contains an annex entitled "Course of Action" which refers to a number of measures designed to bring about the application of the Secretary-General's "Plan of National Reconciliation" if the matter cannot be settled by negotiation. No specific article in the Charter or Security Council resolution has been cited in support of such measures.
§ LORD COLYTONMy Lords, these measures now seem to have received the approval of the President of the United States and of Monsieur Spaak. It seems to me quite clear, from all the reports of movements of United States transport planes and the despatch of additional United Nations jet fighters, that we may be heading for a third round of hostilities in Katanga, with the inevitable great loss of civilian life and total disruption of mineral production. In the circumstances, may I ask my noble friend for an assurance that Her Majesty's Government will do their utmost to prevent the imposition of any such economic sanctions and, if the matter does come before the Security Council at an early stage, that they will on this occasion exercise their veto?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I think my noble friend knows and the House is aware that Her Majesty's Government endorsed and supported the United Nations plan for reconciliation at the time it was issued, and we still hope it will succeed. But concurrently with that, we told the Acting Secretary-General in August that we had certain reservations, particularly on phases two, three and four of the plan of action which dealt with sanctions. My answer, therefore, to my noble friend is this. I have made it quite clear, time and again, that we cannot approve sanctions to impose a political solution. But I felt bound to add—and I told Mr. Tshombe this—that should the United Nations by a majority decide to impose sanctions there was nothing we could do to stop that. My noble friend will understand that if there is a veto in the Security Council, under the modern procedure that is immediately transferred to 140 the Assembly. So while our advice certainly is strongly against sanctions, I should have to reserve what action we might take in the circumstances.
§ LORD COLYTONMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether at least we may have an undertaking that Her Majesty's Government will do nothing to facilitate the application of such sanctions in the territories for which we are responsible?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, we are not responsible for the Congo, thank goodness! But certainly I think I have assured my noble friend and the House that, so far as we are concerned, we do not believe that these sanctions are right, and they should not be applied in these circumstances. But I must add, in fairness to the House, that if the decision of the Security Council and the Assembly goes against us, then there is nothing we could do to stop that—nothing we would do, I think, to stop it, in those circumstances.