United Nations Security Council draft resolution S/3671
Date: 1956-10-13 (meeting 743)
Agenda: Situation created by the unilateral action of the Egyptian Government in bringing to an end the system of international operation of the Suez Canal, which was confirmed and completed by the Suez Canal Convention of 1888
Vetoed by: RUSSIA/USSR

UNITED NATIONS
SECURITY
COUNCIL
Distr.
GENERAL
S/3671
13 October 1956
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH/
FRENCH
SITUATION CREATED BY THE UNILATERAL ACTION OF THE EGYPTIAN
GOVERNMENT IN BRINGING TO AN END THE SYSTEM OF INTERNATIONAL
OPERATION OF THE SUEZ CANAL, WHICH WAS CONFIRMED AND COMPLETED
BY THE SUEZ CANAL CONVENTION OF 1888
France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:
Joint draft resolution
The Security Council,
Noting the declarations made before it and the accounts of the development
of the exploratory conversations on the Suez question given by the Secretary-
General of the United Nations and the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, France and the
United Kingdom;
Agrees that any settlement of the Suez question should meet the following
requirements:
(1) there should be free and open transit through the Canal without
discrimination, overt or covert - this covers both political and technical
aspects;
(2) the sovereignty of Egypt should be respected;
(3) the operation of the Canal should be insulated from the politics of any
country;
(4) the manner of fixing tolls and charges should be decided by agreement
between Egypt and the users;
(5) a fair proportion of the dues should be allotted to development;
(6) in case of disputes, unresolved affairs between the Suez Canal Company
and the Egyptian Government should be settled by arbitration with suitable
terms of reference and suitable provisions for the payment of sums found to be
due;
Considers that the proposals of the Eighteen Powers correspond to the
requirements set out above and are suitably designed to bring about a settlement
of the Suez Canal question by peaceful means in conformity with justice;
56-26911


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English
Page 2

Notes that the Egyptian Government, while declaring its readiness in
the exploratory conversations to accept the principle of organized collaboration
between an Egyptian Authority and the users, has not yet formulated sufficiently
precise proposals to meet the requirements set out above;

Invites the Governments of Egypt, France and the United Kingdom to continue
their interchanges and in this connexion invites the Egyptian Government to
make known promptly its proposals for a system meeting the requirements set out
above and providing guarantees to the users not less effective than those sought
by the proposals of the Eighteen Powers;

Considers that pending the conclusion of an agreement for the definitive
settlement of the regime of the Suez Canal on the basis of the requirements set
out above, the Suez Canal Users' Association, which has been qualified to receive
the dues payable by ships belonging to its members, and the competent Egyptian
authorities, should co-operate to ensure the satisfactory operation of the Canal
and free and open transit through the Canal in accordance with the 1888 Convention.


Voting result: 9 yes, 2 no, 0 abstentions
Votes by member:
country: Australia
vote: Y
country: Belgium
vote: Y
country: China
vote: Y
country: Cuba
vote: Y
country: France
vote: Y
country: Iran
vote: Y
country: Peru
vote: Y
country: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
vote: N
country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
vote: Y
country: United States of America
vote: Y
country: Yugoslavia
vote: N