First emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly
Encyclopedia
The first emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly was convened on 1 November and ended on 10 November 1956 resolving the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...

 by creating the United Nations Emergency Force
United Nations Emergency Force
The first United Nations Emergency Force was established by United Nations General Assembly to secure an end to the 1956 Suez Crisis with resolution 1001 on November 7, 1956. The force was developed in large measure as a result of efforts by UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld and a proposal...

 to provide an international presence between the belligerents in the canal zone. The emergency special session was convened due to the failure of the Security Council to resolve the instability at the Suez Canal, invoking "Uniting for Peace" resolution which transferred the issue from the Security Council to the General Assembly. On the fourth day of the session the Canadian representative, Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...

, introduced the concept of a UN police force. The creation of the United Nations Emergency Force
United Nations Emergency Force
The first United Nations Emergency Force was established by United Nations General Assembly to secure an end to the 1956 Suez Crisis with resolution 1001 on November 7, 1956. The force was developed in large measure as a result of efforts by UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld and a proposal...

 (the first peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....

 force) was approved by the General Assembly with 57 supports and zero opposes. The vote had 19 countries abstaining, including the United Kingdom, France, Egypt, the Soviet Union and several Eastern European countries.

Background

The issue developed after years of attacks by Israel and Egypt against each other. Egypt abrogated the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936
Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936
The Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Egypt; it is officially known as The Treaty of Alliance Between His Majesty, in Respect of the United Kingdom, and His Majesty, the King of Egypt...

, began restricting Israeli shipping, and in 1955 turned to Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

 to purchase weapons. In July 1956 the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 withdrew financial assistance for Egypt's Aswan Dam
Aswan Dam
The Aswan Dam is an embankment dam situated across the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt. Since the 1950s, the name commonly refers to the High Dam, which is larger and newer than the Aswan Low Dam, which was first completed in 1902...

 project, leading Egypt to nationalize the Suez Canal Company
Suez Canal Company
The Universal Suez Ship Canal Company was the Egyptian corporation which was formed by Ferdinand de Lesseps during 1858, constructed the Suez Canal between 1859 and 1869, and owned and operated it for many years thereafter...

. In September, the Security Council convened to consider "the situation created by the unilateral action of the Egyptian government in bringing to an end the system of international operation of the Suez Canal" and "actions against Egypt by some Powers, particularly France and the United Kingdom, which constitute a danger to international peace and security and are serious violations of the Charter of the United Nations".

In October the Security Council passed Resolution 118 calling on the sovereignty of Egypt to be respected and the operation of the Suez Canal to be insulated from the politics of any country. However, Israel invaded Egypt shortly after. An American draft resolution calling on Israel to withdraw from Egypt to behind armistice lines was vetoed by France and the United Kingdom who joined Israeli forces in the invasion. Security Council Resolution 119 passed on October 31 admitted its failure to maintain international peace and security invoking the 1950 "Uniting for Peace" resolution triggering an emergency special session of the General Assembly.

Emergency special session

On the first day of the special session the General Assembly adopted the American resolution calling for Israel to immediately withdraw its forces from Egypt to behind armistice lines. The measure passed with 64 supports, 5 opposes, and 6 absents — the United Kingdom, France, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand all opposed. Canada abstained, citing a lack of a role for the UN in the peace settlement, which would make the ceasefire only temporary.

At the time the Canadian Minister of External Affairs, Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...

 was in discussion with the Secretary-General regarding an idea for a UN police force. On 4 November, the Canadian minister introduced the proposal for such a force and a resolution supporting the concept was adopted. The resolution passed with 57 supports and zero opposes, though there were 19 absents included the United Kingdom, France, Egypt, the Soviet Union and several Eastern European countries. On the same day, the Chief of staff at the UN Truce Supervision Organization
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization is an organization founded on 29 May 1948 for peacekeeping in the Middle East. Its primary task was providing the military command structure to the peace keeping forces in the Middle East to enable the peace keepers to observe and maintain the...

, E. L. M. Burns
E. L. M. Burns
Eedson Louis Millard "Tommy" Burns, was a Canadian Army Lieutenant General and diplomat.-Early Education:...

, was appointed to head the new force as its Chief of Command. He was authorized to recruit members observer nations of the UNTSO and to pursue further recruitment from other member states, except for permanent members of the Security Council.

On 6 November, the Secretary-General presented a preliminary report to the General Assembly defining the concept and scope of the UNEF and establishing guiding principles. The next day the report was adopted, without any amendments, by a vote count of 64 supports, zero opposes, and 12 absent, including Egypt, Israel, South Africa, the Soviet Union and several Eastern European countries. Both the United Kingdom and France voted in favour because the plan included an international force in the Suez Canal, which they stated was their intention the entire time. The Soviet Union abstained believing it was counter to the Charter of the UN but did not object in order to prevent further aggression against Egypt. An Advisory Committee to implement the plan was formed, consisting of representatives from Brazil, Canada, Sri Lanka, Colombia, India, Norway, and Pakistan, with the Secretary-General as chairman.

The emergency special session ended on 10 November 1956 with the creation of a new UN police force (peacekeepers) to separate the two sides.

See also

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