§ The question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to have the decision appointing Iraq as a member of the Security Council of the United Nations from January, 1973, revoked, in view of her active participation in the attack on Israel.
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, Iraq was one of the five United Nations members to be elected by the General Assembly on October 15 to sit on the Security Council from January, 1974. There is no possibility that this decision will be reversed.
LORD JANNERMy Lords, would the noble Earl say whether some kind of protest will be made with a view possibly to altering the rules in relation to the Security Council? How can a nation which is at present at war with one of the other parties be appointed to the Security Council, particularly when it is going there merely in order to increase the very serious imbalance which already exists against Israel on that Council? How can it possibly be a judge in a cause of this sort on the Security Council, when at the present moment it is absolutely defying any question of accepting the cease-fire?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, Iraq was voted on to the Security Council by the Members of the United Nations, and there is no precedent for reversing an election to the Security Council. I would only remind the noble Lord that Her Majesty's Government have often called for close attention to be paid to Article 23 of the Charter, which provides that in electing the non-permanent Members of 752 the Security Council due regard should be specially paid in the first instance to the contribution of those Members to the maintenance of international peace and security. If this provision is ignored, the authority of the Council of course must suffer.
LORD JANNERMy Lords, surely what is happening now is making the situation even worse in the eyes of the world with regard to the Security Council. Already everyone regards it with considerable scorn, and is not this adding to the terrible situation which the organisation ought to be helping?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, this is really a matter for the United Nations Assembly. They have voted this country on to the Security Council, and there it is bound to remain. There is no evidence that if any other course were taken, there would be a different result.