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6. Spain The Spanish question came before the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948 on the motion of the representative of Poland, who proposed that the Assembly should consider at its third regular session the implementation of the resolutions on Franco Spain which it had adopted in 1946 and 1947.* This item was included in the Assembly's agenda and allotted to the First Committee (Political and Security), but it was deferred to the second part of the session, which was to open in New York on 1 April, 1949. In coming to a decision as to the policy to be adopted on this item by their "delegation to the Assembly, the New Zealand Government had regard to the action which was taken by the Security Council in June, 1948, when it considered the resolution adopted by the Assembly in 1947. (In this resolution the Assembly expressed its confidence that the Security Council would exercise its responsibilities under the Charter as soon as it considered that the situation in Spain required it to do so.) In the discussion which ensued in the Security Council the majority of members expressed the opinion that the present situation in Spain did not constitute a threat to international peace and security, and that therefore no action by the Council was required at the present time. Following this discussion, the Council decided not to include the question of Franco Spain in its agenda. In the light of this decision, the Government concluded that consideration by the Assembly of further action in the Spanish case was not required, and that the resolutions of 1946 and 1947 represented the maximum practical action which could be taken by the Assembly in present circumstances. At the same time, the Government did not desire in any way to undermine the " moral embargo " against the Franco regime which had been imposed by the resolution of 1946. The New Zealand delegation to the third regular session of the Assembly was therefore instructed to oppose equally any proposal which recommended further United Nations action on the question, or which would revoke the clauses of the 1946 resolution relating to the recall of Ambassadors and the exclusion of Spain from the specialized agencies of the United Nations. THE MIDDLE EAST 1. Palestine In Palestine there were many important developments during the twelve months under survey. Within this period the United Kingdom Government relinquished the mandate which it had held since

* See annual report of Department of External Affairs for 1947-48 at page 35.