Request for a Special Session of the General Assembly on Palestine (April 1947)

On April 2, 1947, the British Government informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations of its intention to place the question of the future government of Palestine on the agenda of the next regular session of the General Assembly. It asked that a special session should be convened to constitute and instruct a special committee to make recommendations on the future government of Palestine.

Dr. Victor Chi Tsai Hoo,
United Nations,
Lake Success

New York
2 April 1947

Sir,

I have received the following message from my Government:

"His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom request the Secretary-General of the United Nations to place the question of Palestine on the agenda of the General Assembly at its next regular annual session. They will submit to the Assembly an account of their administration of the League of Nations mandate and will ask the Assembly to make recommendations, under Article 10 of the Charter, concerning the future government of Palestine.

In making this request, His Majesty's Government draw the attention of the Secretary-General to the desirability of an early settlement in Palestine and to the risk that the General Assembly might not be able to decide upon its recommendations at its next regular annual session unless some preliminary study of the question had previously been made under the auspices of the United Nations. They therefore request the Secretary-General to summon, as soon as possible, a special session of the General Assembly for the purpose of constituting and instructing a special committee to prepare for the consideration, at the regular session of the Assembly, of the question referred to in the preceding paragraph."

I have the honour to be ...

(Signed) Alexander Cadogan

Source: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Partition Plan: Request for a Special Session of the General Assembly on Palestine

(April 2, 1947)