HC Deb 18 October 1945 vol 414 cc1548-50W
Mr. W. Harris

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the proposal made by the American member, and supported by the British member, of the recent Conference of Foreign Ministers, that the administration of the former Italian Colonies by the United Nations Organisation, as a whole, contemplates action under Article 81 of the United Nations Charter: whether the general principle of the administration of dependent territories by the new organisation directly has the support of His Majesty's Government; and whether the creation of an International Civil Service for this purpose is under consideration.

Mr. McNeil

I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's statement on 9th October about the work of the Council of Foreign Ministers at its recent session. The answer to the first part of the Question is that all the articles in Chapter XII of the Charter of the United Nations Organisation, including Article 81, will naturally govern the detailed arrangements to be made to give effect to the particular form of trusteeship which is eventually adopted for the administration of the former Italian colonies. It is impossible at present to foretell the exact character of the trusteeship agreements which will have to be made in accordance with Article 81.

With regard to the second part of the Question, my right hon. Friend explained in his statement that he had supported on behalf of His Majesty's Government the general proposal put forward by the United States Delegation for placing these territories under a collective trusteeship by the United Nations Organisation as a whole.

The answer to the last part of the Question is that the formation of the appropriate international staffs for the administration of the territories under collective trusteeship is one of the many detailed aspects of the United States proposal which, as indicated in my right hon. Friend's statement of 9th October, will have to be considered. I would, however, remind the hon. Member that, as also indicated in the statement, the agreed conclusion of the Council of Foreign Ministers was to refer the United States proposal to the Deputies for consideration, taking into account also the alternative proposal put forward at the Council for trusteeship by single States.