Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Your D268 and 54, Palestine.
We note with interest United States agreement with our view that
an Ad Hoc Committee may not be regarded as satisfactory.
2. We note also that your concern is to have matter settled at
this coming Assembly Meeting and that you consider, therefore, a
fact-finding committee should carry ou[t] preliminary work before
the Assembly Meeting.
3. In these circumstances, we consider the United States proposal
for a special Assembly meeting is perhaps the best solution. The
Secretary-General's complaint regarding expense can be met by
allowing this special meeting of the Assembly to discuss not only
Palestine but also the financing of the United Nations which
apparently is at present a matter of concern to the Secretary-
General.
4. We suggest, therefore, that the United Kingdom and the United
States both immediately endeavour to obtain the consent of a
majority of the members of the United Nations in accordance with
Article 20 for the calling of a special session. An alternative
which you might consider is to refer the matter immediately to the
Security Council with a request that they ask the Secretary-
General to call a special session.