02041951 Statement by the President of Security Council in the meeting No. 540 held on 2 April 1951
02041951 Statement by the President of Security Council in the meeting No. 540 held on 2 April 1951
The Council will recall how, at the beginning of our 533rd meeting on 1 March last, the President then assuming office, my distinguished colleague Sir Benegal N. Rau, deemed that he should not preside over the Council during the consideration of the India-Pakistan question. In accordance with rule 20 of the rules of procedure, he therefore requested the next member in English alphabetical order, namely, the Netherlands, to take the Chair for the purpose of the consideration of this Question. Since the Council, during the month of March} d no other business before it but the India-Pakistan question, . has thus been deprived of the great skill and experience which the distinguished and learned representative of India would undoubtedly have brought to the execution of his presidential task. It has fallen to me to preside over the seven meetings which we have devoted during the month of March to the problem before us, but it was Sir Benegal Rau who continued to bear all the other responsibilities of the Presidency. I am certain the members of the Council will agree with me if I tender to him, on behalf of all of us, the expression of our esteem and gratitude on that account, as well as our sincere appreciation of the sense of fairness and equity which was reflected in his decision to vacate the Chair in the situation with which his country is so directly connected.
As for myself, it is now my duty and privilege to assume the Presidency of the Council during the month of April in my country's own right. I can only hope that the Council, in bearing with me for another month, will give me the same co-operation which I was fortunate enough to enjoy during the month which has just ended.
At the end of our preceding [539th] meeting, after the vote had been taken on the draft resolution contained in document S/2017/Rev. 1, I informed the Council that the representative of Pakistan had requested an opportunity to make a statement. We then decided to give him the opportunity to do so at this morning's meeting. In answer to a remark by the representative of the United Kingdom, I declared at the time that I could see no objection to affording to any other representative the opportunity to explain his vote if he so desired. No objections were raised in the Council to that procedure, and I therefore now call upon the representative of Pakistan to make his statement.
In so doing I might observe that the discussion concerning the resolution which was adopted last Friday is closed and that questions which were raised during the debate thereon cannot now be reopened. On the other hand, I consider it in order that the representative of Pakistan—who under rule 37 of our rules of procedure, has been invited to participate without vote in the discussion of the India-Pakistan question, in which the interests of his country are affected—should be given an opportunity now to state the attitude of his Government towards the resolution which has been adopted and concerning which the debate proper is closed.