UNITED NATIONS ADOPTS BEVIN-SFORZA AGREEMENT FOR ITALIAN COLONIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27081, 16 May 1949, Page 5

UNITED NATIONS ADOPTS BEVIN-SFORZA AGREEMENT FOR ITALIAN COLONIES

NZPA—Copyright Rec. 9 p.m. NEW YORK, May 13. The United Nations Political Committee to-day adopted, with one important exception, the points of the British-Italian agreement for the future of Italy’s former colonies. The only important part Of the BritishItaliah agreement rejected was the proposal to give the western province of Eritrea to the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. The committee adopted the main points of the agreement by 34 votes to 16, with seven abstentions. New Zealand and Australia voted affirmatively. The plan provides that Libya be granted independence 10 years from the date of the adoption of the resolution unless the General Assembly then decides that this step is not appropriate at the time. Details of the plan are:— 1. Cyrenaica to be put under an international trusteeship system, with Britain as the administering authority. 2. Fezzan to be placed under an international trusteeship system, with France as the administering authority. 3. Tripolitania to be placed under an international trusteeship system by the end of 1951, with Italy as the administering authority. During the interim period the present British temporary administration shall continue with the assistance of«an advisorv council consisting of Turkey, France, Italy, Britain, the United States, and a representative of the people of the territory. A provision in each of these points says that the measures taken shall be without prejudice to the incorporation of these territories in a united Libya. 4. Italian Somaliland to be placed under an international trusteeship system, with Italy as the administering authority. 5. Eritrea, except for the western province, to be incorporated into Ethiopia. The cities of Asmara and Massawa to have municipal charters without prejudice to the sovereignty of Ethiopia.

Agreements incorporating these decisions are to be submitted to the next regular session of the General Assembly, except for Tripolitania, which would be dealt with by the sixth regular session in 1951. The Trusteeship Council and the Little Assembly are to have a part in working out these agreements. No provision was made for Western Eritrea immediately. The victory of the British-Italian proposal came as a surprise to a number of delegations. A week ago there was hardly a good word to say for it and many diplomats were predicting its defeat. The Bevin-Sforza agreement : is regarded by many at Lake Success as having been, the king pin of action in the United Nations, swaying as it did the entire Latin-American bloc of 20 votes. The plan is expected to obtain final approval by the General Assembly in the plenary session to-mor-row. The Political Committee failed to endorse the British proposal that Western Eritrea should be incorporated in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, and the province may have to stay under temporary British administration until another solution is found. Almost unnoticed in the rapid-fire voting of to-day’s crowded session was the complete failure of the Soviet proposal, the main feature of which was that, under a joint United Nations trusteeship, a Soviet administrator would have been introduced into the African territories. Israel made her first move in the United Nations since her admission wh.en she lined up with the Arab States to oppose the Anglo-Italian plan. It is known that both New Zealand and Australia were distressed by the proposals, which they regarded as having been “ sprung upon ” the assembly without warning as the result of a private arrangement. Early this week Sir Carl Berendsen. chief New Zealand delegate, was still awaiting instructions from his Government, but to-day he voter! in favour of all the taroposals.