84 Department of External Affairs to Eggleston

Following is summary of main aspects of United Nations meeting since our 162:

Terms of office of Security Council In discussion of provisional rules of procedure in the Legal Committee of General Assembly, question arose whether members elected for two years would serve for full term or would be replaced at Assembly meeting in September 1947. Our Delegation was instructed to emphasise that Rule 1 [1] and Supplementary Rule S [2] read together would conflict with Article 23 of the Charter which specifies period non-permanent members will remain on Council. [3] It was also pointed out that the provisional rules of procedure were not adopted by Assembly prior to elections.

Committee finally adopted Egyptian proposal that Supplementary Rule S should be deleted and that Rule 78 should be replaced by the following rule 'the term of office of each member shall begin immediately upon election provided the seat to which such member has been elected is vacant, or if election takes place before the expiry of the term of office of a member previously elected, immediately it becomes vacant'. It seems likely that the Committee's recommendation will be adopted by the Assembly. [4]

[matter omitted]