Advisory Opinion of 28 May 1948

Document Number
003-19480528-ADV-01-00-EN
Document Type
Date of the Document
Document File
Bilingual Document File

COUlI INTEIINATIONALE DE JUSTICE

RECUEIL
DES ARRETS, AVIS CONSU1,TATIFSET ORDONNANCES

CONDITIONSDE L'ADMISSION D'UÉ NTAT
COMMEMEMBREDES NATIONSUNIES
(ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE)

AVIS CONSULTATIFDU 28 MAI 1948

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

REPORTS
OF
JUDGMENTS, ADVJSOR17OPINIONS AND ORDERS

CONDITIONSOF ADMISSIONOF A STATE
TO MEMBERSHIP INTHE UNITEDNATIONS
(ARTICLE 4 OF THE CHARTER)

ADVISORY OPINION OF MAY 28th, 1948 Le pr6sent avis doit êtrecite comme suit :

((Admission d'un Étai! aux Nations unies (Charte, 4),.
avis conszrlt:C.fI. J.Recz.~eil194p. 57.))

This Opinion should be cited as foll:ws

"Admission of a State to the United Nations (Charter, 4),.
Advisory Opinio:I.C.J. Reports 1948, p57."

NO de vente :
1Sales numk 8 1 INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

1948.
May 28th.
YEAR 1948. General Lis:
No. 3.

May 28th, 1948.

CONDITIONSOF ADMISSIONOF A STATE

TO MEMBERSHIP INTHE UNITEDNATIONS

(ARTICLE 4 OF THE CHARTER)

Request for advisory opinion in virtue of Resolutionof General
Assembly of United Nations of November 17th, 1g47.-Req~eSt-does
not refer to actual vote but to statements made by a Member concerning
the vote.-Request limitedto the questionwhether the conditions in
Article4, paragraph 1,of the Charter are exhaustive.-Legaor polit-
ical clzaracter of the question.-Cornpetenof the Court to deaZ with
questions in abstract terms.-Competence of the Court to inte9pret
Article4 of the Charter.-Legalcharacter of the rules in Article 4.-
Interpretationbased on the natural meaning of terms.-Considerafiohs
extraneous to the conditions of Article 4. Considerations capable

of being connected with these conditions.-Procedural character of
paragraph 2 of Article 4.-Subordinationof political organs to treaty
provisions which govern them. Article 24 of the Charter.-Demand
on the part of a Member making its consent to the admission of an
applicant dependent on the admission of other app1icants.-Individual
considerationof every application. for admissionon its own merits.

ADVISORY OPINION.

Present : President GUERRER O Vice-President BASDEVAN ;T
Jztdges ALVAREZ,FABELA,HACKWORTH W, INIARSKI,

ZORIEICD , E VISSCHER ,ir Arnold MCNAIR,KLAESTAD,
BADAWIPASHA,KRYLOV,READ,HSU MO, A~EVEDO. composed as above,

gives the following advisory opinion :

On November 17th, 1947, the General Assembly of the
United Nations adopted the following Resolution :

" The General Assembly,
ConsideringArticle 4 of the Charter of the United Nations,

Consideringthe exchange of views which has taken place in the
Security Council at its Two hundred and fourth, Two hundred and
sion of certain States to membership in the United Nations,dmis-

Consideriag Article 96 of the Charter,

opinion on the following questiont :f Justice to give an advisory

1s a hlember of the United Nat;-onswhich is called upon,
in virtue of Article 4 of the Charter, to pronounce itself by
its vote, either in the Security Council or in the General
Assembly, on the admission of a State to membership in the
United Nations, juridically entitled to make its consent to the
adn~ission dependent on conditions not expressly provided
by paragraph I of the said Article? In particular, can such
a Member, while it recognizes the conditions set forth in that
provision to be fulfilled by the State concerned, subject its
affirmative vote to the additional condition that other States
be admitted to membership in the United Nations togetlier
with that State ?
Instrzlcts the Secretary-General to place at the disposal of the
Court the records of the above-mentioned meetings of the Seciirity
Council.''

By a note dated November 24th, 1947, and filed in the
Registry on November zgth, the Secretary-General of the
United Nations transmitted to the Registrar a copy of the
Resolution of the General Assembly. In a telegram sent on
December ~oth, the Secretary-General informed the Registrar

that the 'note of November 24th was to be regarded as the
officia1 notification and that certified true copies of the Resol-
ution had been despatched. These copies reached the Registry
on December ~ath, and the question was then entered in the
General List under No. 3.
The same daÿ, the Registrar gave notice of the request for an
opinion to al1 States entitled to appear before the Court, in accord-
ance with paragraph I of Article66 of the Statute. Furthermore, ARTICLE 4 OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS
59
as the question put mentioned Article 4 of the Charter, the Registrar
informed the Governments of Members of the United Kations, by
means of a special and direct communication as provided in para-

graph 2 of Article 66, that the Court was prepared to receive from
them written statements on the question before February gth, 1948,
the date fixed by an Order made on December ~zth, 1947, by the
President, as the Court was not sitting.
By the date thus fixed, written statements were received
from the following States : China, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, India, Canada, United States of America, Greece,
Yugoslavia, Belgium, Iraq, Ukraine, Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics, and Australia. These statements were commiinicated
to al1Members of the United Nations, who were informed that the
President had fixed April qth, 1948, asthe opening date of the oral

proceedings. A statement from the Government of Siam, dated
January 3oth, 1948, which was received in the Reqistry on Febru-
arÿ 14th, i.e., after the expiration of the time-limit, wasaccepted
by decision of the President and was also transmitted to the other
Members of the United Nations.
By its Resolution the General Assembly instructed the Sec-
retary-General to place at the disposa1 of the Court the records
of certain meetings of the Security Council. In accordance with
these instructions and with paragraph 2 of Article65 of the Statute,
where it is laid down that every question submitted for an opinion
shall be accompanied by al1 dociiments likely to throw light upon
it, the Secretary-General sentto the Registry the documents which

are enumerated in Section 1 of the list annexed to the present
opinion l. A part of these documents reached the Registry on
February ~oth, 1948, and the remainder on March 20th. The
Secretary-General also announced by a letter of February ~zth,
1948, that hehad designated a representative, authorized to present
any written and oral statements which might facilitate the Court's
task.
Furthermore, the Govemments of the French Republic, of
the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, of the Kingdom of
Belgium, of the Czechoslovak Repilblic, and of the Republic of
Poland announced that they had designated representatives to

present oral statements before the Court.

By decision of the Court, the opening of the oral proceedings
was postponed from April15th to April zznd, 1948. In the course
of public sittings held on April zznd, ~3rd and 24th, the Court
heard the oral statements presen ted
-on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, by
its representative, Mr. Ivan Kerno, Assistant Secretary-General in

charge of the Legal Department ;

lSee page 116.
6 -on behalf of the Government of the French Republic, by its
representative, M. Georges Scelle, Professor at the Faculty of Law
of Paris ;
-on behalf of the Government of the Federal People's Republic
of Yugoslavia, by its representative, Mr. Milan BartoS, Minister
Plenipotentiary ;
-on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium, by
its representative, M. Georges Kaeckenbeeck, D.C.L., Minister
Plenipotentiary, Head of the Division for Peace Conferences and
International Organization at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration ;
-on behalf of the Government of the Republic ofCzechoslovakia,
by its representative, Mr. Vladimir VochoE, Professor of Intema-
tional Law in Charles University at Prague ;
-on behalf of the Govemment of the Republic of Poland, by its
representative, Mr. Manfred Lachs, Professeur agrégé of Inter-
national Law at the University of Warsaw.
In the course af the hearings, new documents were filed by
the representatives accredited to the Court. These documents
are enumerated in Section II of the list annexed to the present

opinion 1.
* * *

Before examining the request for an opinion, the Court
considers it necessary to make the following preliminary remarks :
The question put to the Court is divided into two parts, of
which the second begins with the words "In particular", and is
presented as an application of a more general idea implicit in the
first.
The request for an opinion does not refer to the actual vote.
Although the Members are bound to conform to'the requirements
of Article 4 in giving their votes, the General Assembly can
hardly be supposed to have intended to ask the Court's opinion
as to the reasons which, in the mind of a Member, may prompt
its vote. Such reasons, which enter into a mental process, are
obviously subject to no control. Nor does the request concern

a Member's freedom of expressing its opinion. Since it concerns
a condition or conditions on which a Member "makes its consent
dependent", the question can only relate to the statements made
by a Member concerning the vote it proposes to give.

It is clear from the General Assembly's Resoliition of
November 17th, 1947, that the Court is not called upon either to
define the meaning and scope of the conditions on which admission
is made dependent, or to specify the elements which may serve
in a concrete case to verify the existence of the requisite conditions.
--
'See page II~.
7 The clause of the General Assembly's Resolution, referring to
"the exchange of views which has taken place....", is not under-
stood as an invitation to the Court to Say whether the views thus
referred to are well founded or otherwise. The abstract form in
which the question is stated precludes such an interpretation.
The question put is in effect confined to the following point
only : are the conditions stated in paragraph I of Article 4 exhaust-
ive in character in the sense that an affirmative reply would lead
to the conclusion that z Member is not !rgally entitled to make

admission dependent on conditions not expressly provided for in
that Article, while a negative reply would, on the contrary, authorize
a Member to make admission dependent also on other conditions.

Understood in this light, the question, in its two parts, is and can
only be a purely legal one. To determiiie the meaning of a treaty
provision-to determine, as in this case, the character (exhaustive
or othenvise) of the conditions for admission stated therein-is
a problem of inferpretation and consequently a legal question.

It has nevertheless been contended that the question put
must be regarded as a political one and that, for this reason, it
falls outside the jurisdiction of the Court. The Court cannot
attribute a political character to a request which, framed in abstract

terms, invites it to undertake an essentially judicial task, the inter-
pretation of a treaty provision. It is not concerned with the
motives which mayhave inspired this request, nor with the consider-
ations which, in the concrete cases submitted for examination tothe
Security Council, formed the subject of the exchange of views
which tool; place in that body. It is the duty of the Court to
envisage the question submitted to it only in the abstract form
which fias been given to it ; nothing which is said in the present
opinion refers, either directly or indirectly, to concrete cases or
to particular circumstances.
It has also been contended that the Court should not deal
with a question couched in abstract terms. That is a mere affirm-
ation devoid of any justification. According to Article 96 of the
Charter and Article 65 of the Statute, the Court may give an
advisory opinion on any legal question, abstract or othenvise.
Lastly, it has also been maintained that the Court cannot

reply to the question put because it involves an interpretation of
the Charter. Nowhere is any provision to be found forbidding
the Court, "the principal judicial organ of the United Nations",
to exercise in regard to Article 4 of the Charter, a multilateral
treaty, an interpretative function which falls within the normal
exercise of its judicial powers.
Accordingly, the Court holds that it is competent, on the basis
of Article 96 of the Charter and Article 65 of the Statute, and
8considers that there are no reasons why it should decline to
answer the question put to it.
In framing this answer, it is necessary first to recall the
"conditions" required, under paragraph I of Article 4, of an
applicant for admission. This provision reads as follows :
"Membership in the United Nations is open to al1 other peace-
loving States which accept the obligations contained in the present
Charter and, in the judgment' of the Organization, are able and
willing to carry out these obligations."

The requisite conditions are five in number: to be admitted to
membership in the United Nations, an applicant must (1) be a
State ; (2)be peace-loving ;(3)accept the obligations of the Charter ;
(4) be able to carry out these obligations ; and (5)be willing todo so.

Al1these conditions are subject to the judgment of the Organi-
zation. The judgment of the Organization means the judgment
of the two organs mentioned in paragraph 2 of Article 4, and, in
the last analysis, that of its Members. The question put is con-
cerned with the individual attitude of each Member called upon
to pronounce itself on the question of admission.
Having been asked to determine the character, exhaustive or
otherwise, of the conditions stated in Article 4, the Court must
in the first place consider the text of that Article. The English
and French texts of paragraph Iof Article 4have the same meaning,
and it is impossible to find any conflict between them. The text

of this paragraph, by the enumeration which it contains and the
choice of its terms, clearly demonstrates the intention of its authors
to establish a legal rule which, while it fixes the conditions of admis-
sion, determines also the reasons for which admission may be
refused ;for the text does not differentiate between these two cases
and any attempt .to restrict it to one of them would be purely
arbitrary.
The terms "Membership in the United Nations is open to
al1 other peace-loving States which ...." and "Peuvent devenir
Membres des Nations unies tous autres États pacifiques", indic-
ate that States which fulfil the conditions stated have the

qualifications requisite for admission. The natural meaning of
the words used leads to the conclusion that these conditions
constitute an exhaustive enumeration and are not merely stated
by way of guidance or example. The provision would lose its
significance and weight, if other conditioils, unconnected with those
laid down, could be demanded. The conditions stated in para-
graph I of Article 4 must therefore be regarded not merely as the
necessary conditions, but also as the conditions which sufice.

Nor can it be argued that the conditions enumerated

represent only an indispensable minimum, in the sense that political
considerations could bc superimposed upon them, and prevcilt thc
admission of ail applicant which fulfils tliem. Such an interpreta-
9tion would be inconsistent with the terms of paragraph 2 of
Article 4, which provide for the admission of "tout Etat rem-
plissant ces conditions"-"any such State". It would lead to
conferring upon Members an indefinite and practically unlimited

power of discretion in the imposition of new conditions. Such a
power would be inconsistent with the very character of paragraph I
of Article 4 which, by reason of the close connexion which it
establishes between membership and the observance of the prin-
ciples and obligations of the Charter, clearly conçtitutes a legal
regulation of the question of the admission of new States. To
warrant an interpretation other than that which ensues from the
natural meaning of the words, a decisive reason would be required
which has not been established.
Moreover, the spirit as well as the terms of the paragraph
preclude the idea that considerations extraneous to these prin-
ciples and obligations can prevent the admission of a State which
complies with them. If the authors of the Charter had meant to
leave Members free to import into the application of this provision
consideratiops extraneous to the conditions laid down therein,

they would undoubtedly have adopted a different wording.

The Court considers that the text is sufficiently clear ; conse-
quently, it does not feel that it should deviate fromthe consistent
practice of the Permanent Court of International Justice, according
to which there is no occasion to resort to preparatory work if the
text of a convention is sufficiently clear in itself.
The Court furthermore observes that Rule 60 of the Pro-
visional Rules of Procedure of the Security Council is based on
this interpretation. The first paragraph of this Rule reads as
follows :

"The Security Council shall decide whether in its judgment the
applicant is a peace-loving State and is able and willing to carry
whether otoigrecommend the applicant State for membership."ly

It does not, however, follow from the exhaustive character
of paragraph I of Article 4 that an appreciation is precluded of
such circumstances of fact as would enable the existence of the
requisite conditions to be verified.

Article 4 does not forbid the taking into account of any factor
which it is possible reasonably and in good faith to connect with
the conditions laid down in that Article. The taking into account
of such factors is implied in the very wide and very elastic
nature of the prescribed conditions ; no relevant political factor-
that is to Say, none connected with the conditions of admission-is
excluded. It has been sought to deduce either from the second para-
graph of Article 4, or from the political character of the organ
recornmending or deciding upon admission, arguments in favour

of an interpretation of paragraph I of Article 4, to the effect that
the fulfilrnent of the conditions provided for in that Article is
necessary before the admission of a State can be recornrnended
or decided upon, but that itdoes not preclude the Members of the
Organization from advancing considerations of political expediency,
extraneous to the conditions of Article 4.
But paragraph 2 is concerned only with the procedure $or
admission, while the preceding paragraph lays down the substantive
law. This procedural character is clearly indicated by the
words "will be effected", which, by linking admission to the deci-
sion, point clearly tothe fact that the paragraph issolelyconcerned
with the manner in which admission is effected, and not witb the
subject of the judgme~t of the Organization, nor with the nature
of the appreciation involved in that judgment, these two questions
being dealt with in the preceding paragraph. Moreover, this
paragraph, in referring to the "recommendation" of the Security
Council and the "decision" of the General Assembly, is designed

only to determine the respective functions of these two organs
which consist in pronouncing upon the question whether or not
the applicant State shall be admitted to membership after having
established whether or not the prescribed conditions are fulfilled.
The political character of an organ cannot release it from
the observance of the treaty provisions established by the
Charter when they constitute limitations on its powers or criteria
for its judgment. To ascertain whether an organ has freedom of
choice for its decisions, reference must be made to the terms of
its constitution. In this case, the limits of this freedom are fixed
by Article 4 and allow for a wide liberty of appreciation. There
is therefore no conflict between the functions of the political organs,
on the one hand, and the exhaustive character of the prescribed
conditions, on the other.
It has been sought to base on the political responsibilities
assumed by the Security Council, in virtue of Article 24 of

the Charter, an argument justifying the necessity for according to
the Security Council as well as to the General Assembly complete
freedom of appreciation in connexion with the admission of new
Members. But Article 24, owing to the very general nature of its
terms, cannot, in the absence of any provision, affect the special
rules for admission which emerge from Article 4.
The foregoing considerations establish the exhaustive character
of the conditions prescribed in Article 4.

The second part of the question concerns a demand on the part
of a Member making its consent to the admission of an applicant
dependent on the admission of other applicants. Judged on the basis of the rule which the Court adopts in its
interpretation of Article 4, such a demand clearly- constitutes
a new condition, since it is entirely unconnected with those pre-
scribed in Article4. It is also in anentirely different category from
those copditions, since it makes admission dependent, not on the
conditions required of applicants, qualifications which are supposed
to be fulfilled, but on anextraneous consideration concerning States
other than the applicant State.
The provisions of Article 4 necessarily imply that eï ery applic-
ation for admission should be examined and voted on separately
and on its own merits ; othenvise it would be impossible to
determine whether a particular applicant fulfils the necessary
conditions. To subject an affirmative vote for the admission of an
applicant State to the condition that other States be admitted with
that State would prevent Members from exercising their judgrnent
in each case with complete liberty, within the scope ofthe prescribed
conditions. Such a demand is incompatible with the letter and

spirit of Article 4 of the Charter.

by nine votes to six,

is of opinion that a Member of the United Nations which is called
upon, in virtue of Article 4 of the Charter, to pronounce itself by
its vote, either in the Security Council or in the General Assembly,
on the admission of a State to membership in the United Nations,
is not juridically entitled to make its consent to the admission
dependent on conditions not expressly provided by paragraph I
of the said Article ;

and that, in particular, a Member of the Organization canot,
while it recognizes the conditions set forth in that provision to be
fulfilled by the State concerned, subject its affirmative vote to
the additional condition that other States be admitted to member-
ship in the United Nations together with that State.

The present opinion has been drawn up in French and in English,
the French text being authoritative. Done at the Peace Palace, The Hague, this twenty-eighth day
of May, one thousand nine hundred and forty-eight, in two copies,
one of which shall be placed in the archives of the Court and the
other transmittedto the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

(Signed)J. G. GUERRERO,

President.

(Signed)E. HAMBRO,

Registrar.

Judges ALVAREZ and AZEVEDOw , hilst concurring in the opinion
of the Court, have availed themselves of the right conferred on
them by Article 57 of the Statute and appended to the opinion
a statement of their individual opinion.
Judges BASDEVANT W, INIARSKI,MCNAIR,READ, ZORICICand
KRYLOV,declarbg that they are unable to concur in the opinion
of the Court, have availed themselves of the right conferred on

them by Article 57 of the Statute and appended to the opinion
a statement of their dissenting opinion.

(Initialled) G. G.
(Initialled) EH. ANNEX.

LIST OF DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE COURT

I. Provisional Rules of Procedure of the Security Council (SI961
Rev. 3. January 27th, 1948) l.
2. Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly (A/520. Decem-
ber ~zth, 1947) l.
3. Rules governing the admission-of new Members (Report of the
Committee of the General Assembly) (A1384, p. 4, Septem-
ber 12th. 1947) l.

3. Report by the Executive Committee to the Preparatory Com-
mission of the United Nations .PCI.XIIIZ. -.. I. Novem-
ber ~zth, 1945) l.
5. Report of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations
(PC/zo. December 23rd, 1945) l.
6. Records of the Security Council Committee of Experts Meetings
concerning the Rules on the Admission of new Members l:

1946. S/Procedure 91.
>> gr, Con. I.
1> 92.

>> 93.
, 93, Corr. I.
>> 94.
>> 99.
>f 99) Con. 1.

1947. SlC.1/sR.g6.
,, 96, Corr. I.
,, 101.
,> 102.
,, 103.
3, 104-

7. Records of the meetings of the Joint Committees appointed by
the General Assembly and the Security Council on Rules
governing the admission of new Members a:
-
l Tliese documents arrived at the Registry on February 10th. 1948.
These documents arrived at the Registry, partly on February 10th. partly
on blarch zoth, 1948.

63 ARTICLE 4 OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS 117
A/AC.II/SR.I.
,, SR.1, Corr. I.
,, SR.2.

,, SR.2, Rev. I.
,, SR.3.
,, SR.3, Rev. I.
,, SR.4.
,, 5x5.
,, SR.6.
,, SR.7.
,, SR.8.
,, SR.8, Corr.
9, SR.9.
,, SR.10.
,, sR.11.

8. Report of the Security Council Committee on the admission of
new Members, 1946 (Security Council Oficial Records, First
Year, Second Series, Supplement No. 4, p. 53) l.
9. Report of the Security Council to the General Assembly on the
admission of new Members, 1946 (A11o8.October 15th, 1946) l.
IO. Records of the Security Council Meetings concerning the admis-
sion of new Members, 1946.
Security Council O@cial Records, First Year, Second Series :

No. 1.
>> 2.

,, 3.
,, 4.
2 5.
,, 18.
2, 23.
,, 24.
,, 25.
Security Council Journal, First year, No. 35.

II. Records of the First Comrnittee Meetings of the Second Part
of the First Session of the General Assembly concerning the
admission of new Members, 1946 :
Journal 22, Suppl. No. 1-AlC.1/22.
,, 24, 9, ,, 1-A/C.I/~I.
,, 25, ,, ,, 1-AIc.1137.
,, 26, ,, ,, 3-AlC.3143.
27, ,, ,, 1-AlC.1139.
,, 28, ,, ,, 1-Alc.1141.

29, ,, A-AlP.V.47.
2 319 ,, ,, 1-AIc.1145.
9 32, ,, -A/c.1/47.
,, 37, ,, A-AlP.V.48.
,, 38, ,, A-AIP.V.49.
These documents arrived at the Registry on February 10th. 1948.
These documents arrived at the Registry, partly on February 10th. partly
on March 20th. 1948.

6412. Records of the Plenary Meetings of the Second Parc of the First
Session of the General Assembly concerning the admission of new
Members, 1946 l. (Journal No. 66, Supplement A-A1P.V. 67.)
13. Report of the Security Council Committee on the admission of
new Members, 1947. Security Council Oficial Records, Second
Year, Special Supplement No. 3, Lake Success, New York, 1947 l.

14. Reports of the Security Council to the General Assembly on the
admission of new Members, 1947 (Al406 October gth, 1947.-
A/grg. November sznd, 1947) l.
15. Records of the Security CouncilMeetingsconcerning the admission
of new Members, 1947.
Security Council Oficial Records, Second Year, No. 38 :

16. Records of the First Committee Meetings of the Second Regular
Session of the General Assembly concerning the admission of
new Members, 1947 :

A/C.I/SR. 59.
,, 59, Corn. 1.
,, 59, con. 2.
,, 97.
,, 98.
99.
,, 100.
,, 101.
,, 102.
,, 102, Con. 1.
,, 102, Corr. 2.
,, 103-

Records of the meetings of the Second Regular Session of the
17. General Assembly concerning the admission of new Members,

1947
AlP.V.83. AIP.V.89.
,Y 84. ,, 90.
,, 85. ,> 92.
,, 86. ,, 96.
,, 87. ,, 117.
,, 88. ,, 118.

' These documents arrived at the Registry on February ~otli, 1948.
"These documents arrived at the Iiegistry,partly on February rotli, pnrtly
on March noth, 1948.

65 ARTICLE 4 OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS
II9

11.-DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO DURING THE ORAL PROCEEDINGS.

A.-List of annexes mentioned in the statement by MY. Kerno,
Assistant Secrgtary-General of the United Nations :
Annex I. First Committee. Verbatim record of the 98th Meeting
(Nov. 7th, 1947). Statement by the representative of Belgium

(PP. 72-81).
Annex 2. Ibidem. 99th Meeting (Nov. 7th, 1947). Statement by
the representative of Poland (pp. 41, 42).
Ann,ex 3. Ibidem. Remarks by the representative of Australia
(PP. 747 93).
Annex 4. Ibidem. Remarks by the representative of the U.S.S.R.
(pp 242-250, 251).
Annex 5. Ibidem. 100th Meeting (Nov. 8th, 1947). Remarks by
the representative of India (pp. 52-53).

Annex 6. Ibidem. Remarks by the representative of Argentina
(p. 161).
Annex 7. Ibidem. Remarks by the representative of China
(PP 14-20).
Annex 8. Ibidem. IOIS~ Meeting (Nov. 8th, 1947). Remarks by
the representative of the United Kingdom (pp. 103, 104-110).
Annex g. Ibidem. ~oznd Meeting (Nov. ~oth, 1947). Remarks
by the representative of Greece (p. 6).
Annex IO. Ibidem. 103rd Meeting (Nov. ~oth, 1947). Remarks
by the representative of El Salvador (p. 41).

Annex II. Facts relating to the admission of new Membersprovided
by documents of the United Nations Conference on International
Organization (U.N.C.I.O.).
Annex 12. Admission of new Members.

B.-List of annexes mentioned in the statement by M. Kaeckenbeeck,
representatioe of the Belgian Government :

Extract from the book by Dr. Dietrich Schindler, Die Schieds-
gerichtbarkeit seit 1914 (Enkuicklang uxd hezrtzgerStand).
Extract from the book by H. Lauterpachi, The Function of Law
irbthe Internafional Community.
United Nations. General Assembly. Doc. A1474(Noi. 13th, 1947).

Idem. Doc. Alp.v.113 (Nov. 14th, 1947).
Idem. Doc. A1459 (Nov. th, 1947).
Idem. Doc. A/459, Corr. I (Nov. 13th, 1947).

Bilingual Content

COUlI INTEIINATIONALE DE JUSTICE

RECUEIL
DES ARRETS, AVIS CONSU1,TATIFSET ORDONNANCES

CONDITIONSDE L'ADMISSION D'UÉ NTAT
COMMEMEMBREDES NATIONSUNIES
(ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE)

AVIS CONSULTATIFDU 28 MAI 1948

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

REPORTS
OF
JUDGMENTS, ADVJSOR17OPINIONS AND ORDERS

CONDITIONSOF ADMISSIONOF A STATE
TO MEMBERSHIP INTHE UNITEDNATIONS
(ARTICLE 4 OF THE CHARTER)

ADVISORY OPINION OF MAY 28th, 1948 Le pr6sent avis doit êtrecite comme suit :

((Admission d'un Étai! aux Nations unies (Charte, 4),.
avis conszrlt:C.fI. J.Recz.~eil194p. 57.))

This Opinion should be cited as foll:ws

"Admission of a State to the United Nations (Charter, 4),.
Advisory Opinio:I.C.J. Reports 1948, p57."

NO de vente :
1Sales numk 8 1 COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICE

1948.
Le 28mai.
Rôlnog3.éral ANNÉE 1948

28 mai 1948.

CONDITIONS DE L'ADMISSION D'UÉ NTAT

COMMEMEMBREDES NATIONS UNIES

(ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE)

Demande d'avis consultatif en vertu d'une Résolution de l'Assemblée
généraledes Nations uniedu 17 novembre 1947.- Demande visant,
non le vote lui-même, mais les déclarations faites par un Membre rela-
tivement au vote.Demande limitée au point de savoir si les conditions
énoncéesd l'articl4 (I)de la Charte ont un caractère limita-if.
Caractèrejuridiqueou politique de la questi-n.Compétence de la
Cour pour connaître d'une question énoncéeen termes abstra-ts.
Compétence de la Cour pour interpréter l'article 4 de la Ch-rte.
Caractère juridiqude la réglementation établie pal'article -.
Interprétation fondée sur le sens naturel des -erConsidérations
étrangères auxconditionsde l'article. Considérations susceptibles
d'y êtrerattachées.Caractère procédural de l'art(2).-4 Soumis-
sion des organes politiquaux dispositionconventionnelles qui les
régissent. Articlede la Chart-. Exigence par laquelle un Membre
fait dépendre son consentement'admission d'un candidat de l'admis-
sion d'autres candidats. Examen individuelde toute demande
d'admissionselon ses mérites propres.

AVIS CONSULTATIF

Présents :M. GUERRERO P,résident; M. BASDEVANT V,ice-Prési-
dent ;MM.ALVAREZ F,ABELAH , ACKWORTW H,INIARSKI,
ZORICIC D,EVISSCHER sr Arnold MCNAIR , .KLAESTAD,

BADAWIPACHA,MM. KRYLOV,READ, HSU MO,
AZEVEDO j,ges. INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

1948.
May 28th.
YEAR 1948. General Lis:
No. 3.

May 28th, 1948.

CONDITIONSOF ADMISSIONOF A STATE

TO MEMBERSHIP INTHE UNITEDNATIONS

(ARTICLE 4 OF THE CHARTER)

Request for advisory opinion in virtue of Resolutionof General
Assembly of United Nations of November 17th, 1g47.-Req~eSt-does
not refer to actual vote but to statements made by a Member concerning
the vote.-Request limitedto the questionwhether the conditions in
Article4, paragraph 1,of the Charter are exhaustive.-Legaor polit-
ical clzaracter of the question.-Cornpetenof the Court to deaZ with
questions in abstract terms.-Competence of the Court to inte9pret
Article4 of the Charter.-Legalcharacter of the rules in Article 4.-
Interpretationbased on the natural meaning of terms.-Considerafiohs
extraneous to the conditions of Article 4. Considerations capable

of being connected with these conditions.-Procedural character of
paragraph 2 of Article 4.-Subordinationof political organs to treaty
provisions which govern them. Article 24 of the Charter.-Demand
on the part of a Member making its consent to the admission of an
applicant dependent on the admission of other app1icants.-Individual
considerationof every application. for admissionon its own merits.

ADVISORY OPINION.

Present : President GUERRER O Vice-President BASDEVAN ;T
Jztdges ALVAREZ,FABELA,HACKWORTH W, INIARSKI,

ZORIEICD , E VISSCHER ,ir Arnold MCNAIR,KLAESTAD,
BADAWIPASHA,KRYLOV,READ,HSU MO, A~EVEDO.58 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES

ainsi composée,

donne l'avis consultatif suivant :

A la date du 17 novembre 1947, l'Assemblée générale des

Nations unies a adopté la Résolution ci-après :
« L'Assembléegénérale,

Considérantl'article 4 de la Charte des Nations unies,

Considérantles vues qui furent échangéesau seindu Conseil de
Sécurité à ses Deux cent quatrième, Deux cent cinquièmeet Deux
cent sixième Séances,relatives à l'admission de certains Etats
commeMembresdes Natinns unies,
Considérantl'article 96 de la Charte,

Demande à la Cour internationale de Justice un avis consultatif
sur la question suivante :
Un Membre de l'organisation des Nations unies appelé,en
vertu de l'article 4 de la Chartà,se prononcer par son vote,
soit au Conseil de Sécurité,soit a l'Assembléegénérale, sur
l'admission d'un État comme Membre des Nations unies,
est-il juridiquement fondéà faire dépendre son consentement
à cette admission de conditions non expressément prévues à
l'alinéaI dudit article? En particulier, peut-il, alors qu'il
reconnaît que les conditions prévues par ce texte sont remplies
par l'État en question, subordonner son vote affirmatif à la
condition que, en mêmetemps que l'État dont ils'agit, d'autres
États soient également admis comme Membres des Nations
unies?

Charge le Secrétaire généralde mettre à la disposition de la
Cour les procès-verbaux des séances ci-dessus mentionnées di1
Conseil de Sécurité. ))

Par une note du 24 novembre 1947, enregistrée au Greffe
le 29 novembre, le Secrétaire général des Nations unies a transmis
au Greffier la copie de la Résolution de l'Assemblée générale.
Par télégramme du IO décembre, Ie Secrétaire général a informé
le Greffier que la note du 24 novembre devait être considérée
comme la notification officielle de la demande d'avis, et que des
exemplaires certifiés conformes de la Résolution avaient été
expédiés. Ces exemplaires parvinrent au Greffe le 12 décembre,

et l'affaire fut alors inscrite au rôle général, sous le no 3.
Le même jour, le Greffier notifia la requête demandant
l'avis à tous les États admis à ester en justice devant la Cour,
conformément au paragraphe premier de l'article 66 du Statut ;

5 composed as above,

gives the following advisory opinion :

On November 17th, 1947, the General Assembly of the
United Nations adopted the following Resolution :

" The General Assembly,
ConsideringArticle 4 of the Charter of the United Nations,

Consideringthe exchange of views which has taken place in the
Security Council at its Two hundred and fourth, Two hundred and
sion of certain States to membership in the United Nations,dmis-

Consideriag Article 96 of the Charter,

opinion on the following questiont :f Justice to give an advisory

1s a hlember of the United Nat;-onswhich is called upon,
in virtue of Article 4 of the Charter, to pronounce itself by
its vote, either in the Security Council or in the General
Assembly, on the admission of a State to membership in the
United Nations, juridically entitled to make its consent to the
adn~ission dependent on conditions not expressly provided
by paragraph I of the said Article? In particular, can such
a Member, while it recognizes the conditions set forth in that
provision to be fulfilled by the State concerned, subject its
affirmative vote to the additional condition that other States
be admitted to membership in the United Nations togetlier
with that State ?
Instrzlcts the Secretary-General to place at the disposal of the
Court the records of the above-mentioned meetings of the Seciirity
Council.''

By a note dated November 24th, 1947, and filed in the
Registry on November zgth, the Secretary-General of the
United Nations transmitted to the Registrar a copy of the
Resolution of the General Assembly. In a telegram sent on
December ~oth, the Secretary-General informed the Registrar

that the 'note of November 24th was to be regarded as the
officia1 notification and that certified true copies of the Resol-
ution had been despatched. These copies reached the Registry
on December ~ath, and the question was then entered in the
General List under No. 3.
The same daÿ, the Registrar gave notice of the request for an
opinion to al1 States entitled to appear before the Court, in accord-
ance with paragraph I of Article66 of the Statute. Furthermore, 59 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES

en outre, la question posée faisant mention de l'article 4 de la
Charte, le Greffier fit connaître aux Gouvernements des Membres
des Nations unies, en leur adressant la communication spéciale
et directe prévue au paragraphe 2 de l'article66, que la Cour
était disposéeà recevoir d'eux des exposés écritsavant le g février
1948, date fixéepar une ordonnance rendue le 12 décembre 1947

par le Président, la Cour ne siégeant pas.
Dans le délairainsi prescrit, des exposés écrits furent reçus
de la part des Etats suivants : Chine, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Inde, Canada, Etats-Unis d'Amérique, Grèce, Yougo-
slavie, Belgique, Irak, Ukraine, Union des Républiques socialistes
soviétiques, Australie.Ils furent communiqués à tous les Membres
des Nations unies, qui furent avisés que le Président avait fixé
au 15 avril 1948 la date d'ouverture de la procédure orale. Le
Greffeayant reçu le 14 février, c'est-à-dire après l'expiration du
délai, un exposé du Gouvernement du Siam daté du 30 janvier
1948, cet exposé fut accepté par décision du Président et copie

en fut aussi transmise aux autres Membres des Nations unies.

La Résolution de l'Assemblée généralechargeait le Secrétaire
général demettre à la dispoisPtionde la Cour les procès-verbaux
de certaines séances du Conseil de Sécurité.En application de
cette stipulationainsi que de l'article5, paragraphe 2, du Statut,
où il est prescrit qu'à la question soumise pour avis, est joint
tout document pouvant servir à l'élucider, le Secrétaire général
transmit au Greffe les documents qui sont énumérés à la section T
du bordereau annexé au présent avis l.Une partie de ces docu-

ments parvint au Greffe le IO février1948, et le reste le20 mars.
Le Secrétairegénéral fit égalementconnaître, par lettre du12 février
1948, qu'il avait désignéun représentant, habilité à présenter
tous exposés écrits et oraux qui pourraient faciliter la tâche de
la Cour.

D'autre part, les Gouvernements de la République fran-
çaise, de la République fédérativepopulaire de Yougoslavie, du
Royaume de Belgique, de la République tchécoslovaque et de la
République de Pologne firent savoir qu'ils avaient désignédes
représentants chargés de prononcer des exposés oraux devant

la Cour.
Par décision de la Cour, l'ouverture de la procédure orale
fut remise du 15 au 22 avril 1948. Lors des audiences publiques,
tenues les 22, 23 et 24 avril, la Cour entendit les exposés oraux
présentés
- au nom du Secrétaire général des Nations unies, par son
représentant, M. Ivan Kerno, Secrétaire général adjoint chargé
du Département juridique ;

lVoir page I16.
6 ARTICLE 4 OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS
59
as the question put mentioned Article 4 of the Charter, the Registrar
informed the Governments of Members of the United Kations, by
means of a special and direct communication as provided in para-

graph 2 of Article 66, that the Court was prepared to receive from
them written statements on the question before February gth, 1948,
the date fixed by an Order made on December ~zth, 1947, by the
President, as the Court was not sitting.
By the date thus fixed, written statements were received
from the following States : China, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, India, Canada, United States of America, Greece,
Yugoslavia, Belgium, Iraq, Ukraine, Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics, and Australia. These statements were commiinicated
to al1Members of the United Nations, who were informed that the
President had fixed April qth, 1948, asthe opening date of the oral

proceedings. A statement from the Government of Siam, dated
January 3oth, 1948, which was received in the Reqistry on Febru-
arÿ 14th, i.e., after the expiration of the time-limit, wasaccepted
by decision of the President and was also transmitted to the other
Members of the United Nations.
By its Resolution the General Assembly instructed the Sec-
retary-General to place at the disposa1 of the Court the records
of certain meetings of the Security Council. In accordance with
these instructions and with paragraph 2 of Article65 of the Statute,
where it is laid down that every question submitted for an opinion
shall be accompanied by al1 dociiments likely to throw light upon
it, the Secretary-General sentto the Registry the documents which

are enumerated in Section 1 of the list annexed to the present
opinion l. A part of these documents reached the Registry on
February ~oth, 1948, and the remainder on March 20th. The
Secretary-General also announced by a letter of February ~zth,
1948, that hehad designated a representative, authorized to present
any written and oral statements which might facilitate the Court's
task.
Furthermore, the Govemments of the French Republic, of
the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, of the Kingdom of
Belgium, of the Czechoslovak Repilblic, and of the Republic of
Poland announced that they had designated representatives to

present oral statements before the Court.

By decision of the Court, the opening of the oral proceedings
was postponed from April15th to April zznd, 1948. In the course
of public sittings held on April zznd, ~3rd and 24th, the Court
heard the oral statements presen ted
-on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, by
its representative, Mr. Ivan Kerno, Assistant Secretary-General in

charge of the Legal Department ;

lSee page 116.
660 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES

- au nom du Gouvernement de la République française, par
son représentant, M. Georges Scelle, professeur à la Faculté de
droit de Paris ;
- au nom du Gouvernement de la République fédérative
populaire de Yougoslavie, par son représentant, M. Milan Bartoi,
ministre plénipotentiaire ;
- au noIn du Gouvernement du Royaume de Belgique, par

son représentant, M. Georges Kaeckenbeeck, D. C. L., ministre
plénipotentiaire, chef du Service des Conférences de la Paix et
de l'organisation internationale au ministère des Maires étran-
gères, membre de la Cour permanente d'Arbitrage ;
- au nom du Gouvernement de la République tchécoslovaque,
par son représentant, M. Vladimir VochcC, professeur de droit
international à l'université Charles, à Prague ;
- au nom du Gouvi.rnement de la République de Pologne,
par son représentant, 3:. Manfred Lachs, professeur agrégé de
droit international à l'université de Varsovie.
Au cours des audiences, de nouveaux documents furent
déposéspar les représentants accrédités à la Cour. Ces documents
sont énumérés à la section II du bordereau annexé au présent

avis l.
* * *

Avant d'aborder l'examen de la demande d'avis, la Cour estime
nécessaire de faire les remarques préliminaires suivantes:
La question posée à la Cour se décompose en deux parties,
dont la deuxième est introduite par les mots « En particulier »,
et présentée comme une application d'une idée plus générale
impliquée dans la première.
La demande d'avis ne vise pas le vote lui-même. Bien que les

Membres aient le devoir de se conformer aux prescriptions de
l'article4 dans les votes qu'ils émettent, on ne peut prêter à
l'Assemblée généralel'intention de demander l'avis de la Cour
sur les motifs qui, dans l'esprit d'un Membre, décident de son
vote. Ces motifs, qui relèvent du for interne, échappent mani-
festement à tout contrôle. La demande ne vise non plus la liberté
d'un Membre d'exprimer son opinion. S'agissant d'une condition
ou des conditions dont un Membre « fait dépendre son consen-
tement », la question poséene peut concerner que les déclarations
faites par un Membre, relativement au vote qu'il se propose
d'émettre.
Tl ressort clairement de la Résolution de l'Assemblée générale
1947 que la Cour n'est appelée ni à
en date du 17 novembre
définir le sens et la portée des conditions auxqiielles l'admission
est subordonnée, ni à indiquer les élémentsqui peuvent servir
& vPrifier, dans lin cas concret, l'existence des conditions requises.

l Voir pageI19.
7 -on behalf of the Government of the French Republic, by its
representative, M. Georges Scelle, Professor at the Faculty of Law
of Paris ;
-on behalf of the Government of the Federal People's Republic
of Yugoslavia, by its representative, Mr. Milan BartoS, Minister
Plenipotentiary ;
-on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium, by
its representative, M. Georges Kaeckenbeeck, D.C.L., Minister
Plenipotentiary, Head of the Division for Peace Conferences and
International Organization at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration ;
-on behalf of the Government of the Republic ofCzechoslovakia,
by its representative, Mr. Vladimir VochoE, Professor of Intema-
tional Law in Charles University at Prague ;
-on behalf of the Govemment of the Republic of Poland, by its
representative, Mr. Manfred Lachs, Professeur agrégé of Inter-
national Law at the University of Warsaw.
In the course af the hearings, new documents were filed by
the representatives accredited to the Court. These documents
are enumerated in Section II of the list annexed to the present

opinion 1.
* * *

Before examining the request for an opinion, the Court
considers it necessary to make the following preliminary remarks :
The question put to the Court is divided into two parts, of
which the second begins with the words "In particular", and is
presented as an application of a more general idea implicit in the
first.
The request for an opinion does not refer to the actual vote.
Although the Members are bound to conform to'the requirements
of Article 4 in giving their votes, the General Assembly can
hardly be supposed to have intended to ask the Court's opinion
as to the reasons which, in the mind of a Member, may prompt
its vote. Such reasons, which enter into a mental process, are
obviously subject to no control. Nor does the request concern

a Member's freedom of expressing its opinion. Since it concerns
a condition or conditions on which a Member "makes its consent
dependent", the question can only relate to the statements made
by a Member concerning the vote it proposes to give.

It is clear from the General Assembly's Resoliition of
November 17th, 1947, that the Court is not called upon either to
define the meaning and scope of the conditions on which admission
is made dependent, or to specify the elements which may serve
in a concrete case to verify the existence of the requisite conditions.
--
'See page II~.
761 ARTICLE 4 DT LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES

Le considérant de la Résolution de 1'.4ssemblLe générale,
qui évoque « les vues qui furent échangée s...:),ne saurait
être considérécomme une invitation à la Cour à se prononcer
sur le bien ou le mal fondé des vues ainsi rappelées. La forme
abstraite donnée à la question exclut une teile interpretation.
La question posée se borne en fait au seul point suivant :
les conditions énoncéesà l'article 4, paragraphe 1, ont-elles un
caractère limitatif en ce sens qu'une réponse affirmative con-
duirait à admettre qu'un Membre n'est pas juridiquement fondé
à faire dépendre l'admission de conditions non expressément
prévues audit article, tandis qu'une réponse négative l'auto-
riserait, au contraire, à faire dépendre l'admission également
d'aiitres conditions.
* * *

Ainsi comprise, la question dans ses deux parties n'est,
et ne saurait être,qu'une question juridique. Fixer la portée d'un

texte conventionnel, dans l'espèce, déterminer le caractère (limi-
tatif ou non limitatif) des conditions d'admission qui s'y trouvent
énoncées,est un problème d'interprétition et,partant,une question
juridique.
Il a été néanmoins prétendu que la question posée doit
êtretenue pour politique et qu'elle échapperait, à ce titre, à la
compétence de la Cour. La Cour ne peut attribuer un caractère
politique à une demande, libelléeen termes abstraits, qui, en lui
déférant l'interprétation d'un texte conventionnel, l'invite à
remplir une fonction essentiellement judiciaire. Elle n'a point à
s'arrêter aux mobiles qui ont pu inspirer cette demande, ni aux
considérations qui, dans les cas concrets soumis à l'examen du
Conseil de Sécurité, ont étél'objet des vues échangéesdans son
sein. La Cour a le devoir de n'envisager la question qui lui est
présentéeque sous l'aspect abstrait qui lui a étédonné ; rien de
ce qui est dit dans le présent avis ne se réfère,ni directement ni
indirectement, à des cas concrets ou à des continge~lces parti-
culières.

Il a été également prétendu que la Cour n'aurait pas à
connaître d'une question posée en termes abstraits. C'est là une
pure affirmation dénuée de toute justification. Selon l'article 96
de la Charte et l'article 65 du Statut, la Cour peut donner un
avis consultatif sur toute questio? juridique, abstraite ou non.
Enfin, il a encore été soutenu que la Cour ne peut répondre
à la question poséeparce que celle-ci comporte une interprétation
de la Charte. On chercherait en vain une disposition quelconque
qui interdirait à la Cour, «organe judiciaire principal des Nations
unies »,d'exercer à l'égard de l'article 4 de la Charte, traité
multilatéral, une fonction d'interprétation qui relève de l'exercice
normal de ses attributions judiciaires.
En conséquence, la Cour se considère comme compétente sur
la base des articles 96 de la Charte et 65 de son Statut, et

8 The clause of the General Assembly's Resolution, referring to
"the exchange of views which has taken place....", is not under-
stood as an invitation to the Court to Say whether the views thus
referred to are well founded or otherwise. The abstract form in
which the question is stated precludes such an interpretation.
The question put is in effect confined to the following point
only : are the conditions stated in paragraph I of Article 4 exhaust-
ive in character in the sense that an affirmative reply would lead
to the conclusion that z Member is not !rgally entitled to make

admission dependent on conditions not expressly provided for in
that Article, while a negative reply would, on the contrary, authorize
a Member to make admission dependent also on other conditions.

Understood in this light, the question, in its two parts, is and can
only be a purely legal one. To determiiie the meaning of a treaty
provision-to determine, as in this case, the character (exhaustive
or othenvise) of the conditions for admission stated therein-is
a problem of inferpretation and consequently a legal question.

It has nevertheless been contended that the question put
must be regarded as a political one and that, for this reason, it
falls outside the jurisdiction of the Court. The Court cannot
attribute a political character to a request which, framed in abstract

terms, invites it to undertake an essentially judicial task, the inter-
pretation of a treaty provision. It is not concerned with the
motives which mayhave inspired this request, nor with the consider-
ations which, in the concrete cases submitted for examination tothe
Security Council, formed the subject of the exchange of views
which tool; place in that body. It is the duty of the Court to
envisage the question submitted to it only in the abstract form
which fias been given to it ; nothing which is said in the present
opinion refers, either directly or indirectly, to concrete cases or
to particular circumstances.
It has also been contended that the Court should not deal
with a question couched in abstract terms. That is a mere affirm-
ation devoid of any justification. According to Article 96 of the
Charter and Article 65 of the Statute, the Court may give an
advisory opinion on any legal question, abstract or othenvise.
Lastly, it has also been maintained that the Court cannot

reply to the question put because it involves an interpretation of
the Charter. Nowhere is any provision to be found forbidding
the Court, "the principal judicial organ of the United Nations",
to exercise in regard to Article 4 of the Charter, a multilateral
treaty, an interpretative function which falls within the normal
exercise of its judicial powers.
Accordingly, the Court holds that it is competent, on the basis
of Article 96 of the Charter and Article 65 of the Statute, and
8 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES
62
estime qu'il n'y a aucun motif pour qu'elle s'abstienne de répondre
à la question qui lui est posée.
Pour formuler cette réponse, il convient tout d'abord de
rappeler les ((conditions ))requises par l'article 4, paragraphe 1,

du candidat à l'admission. Cette disposition est ainsi conçue :
((Peuvent devenir Membres des Nations unies tous autres États
pacifiques qui acceptent les obligations de la présente Charte et,
au jugement de l'organisation, sont capables de les remplir et
disposés à le faire.»

Les conditions prescrites sont donc au nombre de cinq : il
faut 1) être un État ; 2) êtrepacifique ; 3) accepter les obligations

de la Charte ; 4) être capable de remplir lesdites obligations ;
j) êtredisposé à le faire.
Toutes ces conditions sont soumises au jugement de l'Orga-
nisation. Le jugement de l'organisation signifie le jugement des
deux organes mentionnés dans le paragraphe z de l'article 4,
et, en dernière analyse, celui de ses Membres. La question posée
concerne l'attitude individuelle de chaque Membre appelé à se
prononcer sur l'admission.
Invitée à déterminer le caractère limitatif ou non limitatif des
conditions énoncéesà l'article 4, la Cour doit se référerd'abord
aux termes de cet article. Les textes anglais et français de
l'article4, paragraphe premier, ont le mêmesens, et l'on ne peut

les opposer l'un à l'autre. Le texte de ce paragraphe, par son
énumération et par le choix de ses termes, traduit clairement
l'intention de ses auteurs d'établir une réglementation juridique
qui, en fixant les conditions de l'admission, déterminerait aussi
les motifs des refus d'admission. Le texte n'établit, en effet,
aucune distinction et on ne peut, sans arbitraire, le limiter à
l'un des deux cas.

Les termes : « Membership in the United Nations is open
to all othev peace-lo~ing States zeihich ...N, ((Peuvent devenir

Membres des Kations unies tous autres États pacifiques »,indi-
quent que les États qui réunissent les conditions énumérées ont
les titres voulus pour être admis. Le sens naturel des termes
employés conduit à considérer l'énumération de ces conditions
comme limitative et non pas simplement comme énonciative
ou exemplative. La disposition perdrait sa signification et sa
valeur si d'autres conditions, étrangères à celles qui sont pres-
crites, pouvaient êtreexigées. Les conditions énoncées à l'article 3,
paragraphe premier, doivent donc être envisagées non pas seule-
ment comme les conditions nécessaires, mais aussi comme les
conditions suffisantes.

On ne saurait non plus prétendre que les conditions énumé-
rées ne représentent qu'un minimum indispensable, en ce sens
que des considérations politiques pourraient se superposer à
elles et faire obstacle à lJadmisçiond'un candidat qui les remplit.considers that there are no reasons why it should decline to
answer the question put to it.
In framing this answer, it is necessary first to recall the
"conditions" required, under paragraph I of Article 4, of an
applicant for admission. This provision reads as follows :
"Membership in the United Nations is open to al1 other peace-
loving States which accept the obligations contained in the present
Charter and, in the judgment' of the Organization, are able and
willing to carry out these obligations."

The requisite conditions are five in number: to be admitted to
membership in the United Nations, an applicant must (1) be a
State ; (2)be peace-loving ;(3)accept the obligations of the Charter ;
(4) be able to carry out these obligations ; and (5)be willing todo so.

Al1these conditions are subject to the judgment of the Organi-
zation. The judgment of the Organization means the judgment
of the two organs mentioned in paragraph 2 of Article 4, and, in
the last analysis, that of its Members. The question put is con-
cerned with the individual attitude of each Member called upon
to pronounce itself on the question of admission.
Having been asked to determine the character, exhaustive or
otherwise, of the conditions stated in Article 4, the Court must
in the first place consider the text of that Article. The English
and French texts of paragraph Iof Article 4have the same meaning,
and it is impossible to find any conflict between them. The text

of this paragraph, by the enumeration which it contains and the
choice of its terms, clearly demonstrates the intention of its authors
to establish a legal rule which, while it fixes the conditions of admis-
sion, determines also the reasons for which admission may be
refused ;for the text does not differentiate between these two cases
and any attempt .to restrict it to one of them would be purely
arbitrary.
The terms "Membership in the United Nations is open to
al1 other peace-loving States which ...." and "Peuvent devenir
Membres des Nations unies tous autres États pacifiques", indic-
ate that States which fulfil the conditions stated have the

qualifications requisite for admission. The natural meaning of
the words used leads to the conclusion that these conditions
constitute an exhaustive enumeration and are not merely stated
by way of guidance or example. The provision would lose its
significance and weight, if other conditioils, unconnected with those
laid down, could be demanded. The conditions stated in para-
graph I of Article 4 must therefore be regarded not merely as the
necessary conditions, but also as the conditions which sufice.

Nor can it be argued that the conditions enumerated

represent only an indispensable minimum, in the sense that political
considerations could bc superimposed upon them, and prevcilt thc
admission of ail applicant which fulfils tliem. Such an interpreta-
963 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES
Une telle interprétation ne s'accorderait pas avec les termes di1
paragraphe 2 de l'article 4, qui prévoient l'admission de (tout

Etat remplissant ces conditions » (en anglais « any such State 1)).
Elle conduirait à reconnaître aux Membres un pouvoir discré-
tionnaire indéterminéet pratiquement sans limites dans l'exigence
de conditions nouvelles. Un tel pouvoir serait incompatible avec
le caractère même d'une réglementation qui, par le lien étroit
qu'elle établit entre la qualité de Membre et l'observation des
principes et des obligations de la Charte, constitue clairement
une réglementation juridique en matière d'admission dlEtats.
Pour admettre une autre interprétation que celle qu'indique le
sens naturel des termes, il faudrait une raison décisive qui n'a
pas étéétablie.
D'ailleurs, l'esprit du paragraphe aussi bien que son texte

excluent l'idée que des considérations étrangères à ces principes
et obligations puissent faire obstacle à l'admission d'un Etat qui
les observe. Si les auteurs de la Charte avaient entendu reconnaître
aux Membres la faculté d'introduire dans l'application de cette
disposition des considérations étrangères aux conditions qui y
sont prévues, ils n'auraient pas manqué d'adopter une rédaction
différente.
La Cour considère le texte comme suffisamment clair; par-
tant, elle estime ne pas devoir se départir de la jurisprudence
constante de la Cour permanente de Justice internationale, d'après
laquelle il n'y a pas lieu de recourir aux .travaux préparatoires

si le texte d'une convention est en lui-même suffisamment clair.
La Cour constate au surpIus que l'interprétation qu'elle
adopte est à la base de l'article 60 du Règlement intérieur pro-
visoire du Conseil de Sécurité, article dont l'alinéa premier est
ainsi conçu :

« Le Conseil de Sécuritédécidesi, à son jugement, l'État qui
les obligations de la Charte et disposéàfle faire et s'il convient,
en conséquence, de recommanderl'admissionde cet État à1'Assem-
bléegénérale. 1)

Il ne résulte cependant pas du caractère limitatif du para-

graphe I de l'article 4 que soit exclue une appréciation discré-
tionnaire des circonstances de fait de nature à permettre de
vérifier l'existence des conditions requises.
L'article 4 n'interdit la prise en considération d'aucun élément
de fait qui, raisonnablement et en toute bonne foi, peut êtreramené
aux conditions de cet article. Cette prise en considération est
impliquée dans le caractère à la fois très large et très souple des
conditions énoncées ; elle n'écarte aucun élément politique perti-
nent, c'est-à-dire se rattachant aux conditions d'admission.tion would be inconsistent with the terms of paragraph 2 of
Article 4, which provide for the admission of "tout Etat rem-
plissant ces conditions"-"any such State". It would lead to
conferring upon Members an indefinite and practically unlimited

power of discretion in the imposition of new conditions. Such a
power would be inconsistent with the very character of paragraph I
of Article 4 which, by reason of the close connexion which it
establishes between membership and the observance of the prin-
ciples and obligations of the Charter, clearly conçtitutes a legal
regulation of the question of the admission of new States. To
warrant an interpretation other than that which ensues from the
natural meaning of the words, a decisive reason would be required
which has not been established.
Moreover, the spirit as well as the terms of the paragraph
preclude the idea that considerations extraneous to these prin-
ciples and obligations can prevent the admission of a State which
complies with them. If the authors of the Charter had meant to
leave Members free to import into the application of this provision
consideratiops extraneous to the conditions laid down therein,

they would undoubtedly have adopted a different wording.

The Court considers that the text is sufficiently clear ; conse-
quently, it does not feel that it should deviate fromthe consistent
practice of the Permanent Court of International Justice, according
to which there is no occasion to resort to preparatory work if the
text of a convention is sufficiently clear in itself.
The Court furthermore observes that Rule 60 of the Pro-
visional Rules of Procedure of the Security Council is based on
this interpretation. The first paragraph of this Rule reads as
follows :

"The Security Council shall decide whether in its judgment the
applicant is a peace-loving State and is able and willing to carry
whether otoigrecommend the applicant State for membership."ly

It does not, however, follow from the exhaustive character
of paragraph I of Article 4 that an appreciation is precluded of
such circumstances of fact as would enable the existence of the
requisite conditions to be verified.

Article 4 does not forbid the taking into account of any factor
which it is possible reasonably and in good faith to connect with
the conditions laid down in that Article. The taking into account
of such factors is implied in the very wide and very elastic
nature of the prescribed conditions ; no relevant political factor-
that is to Say, none connected with the conditions of admission-is
excluded.64 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES
On a cherché à tirer, soit du deuxième paragraphe de
l'article, soit du caractere politique de l'organe qui recommande

l'admission et de celui qui en décide, des arguments en faveur
d'une interprétation de l'article 4, paragraphe premier, selon
laquelle l'existence des conditions prévues par cet article serait
nécessaire pour recommander I'admission d'un Etat ou pour en
décider, mais n'empêcherait pas les Membres de l'Organisation
d'avancer des considérations d'opportunité politique étrangères
aux conditions de l'article 4.
Mais le paragraphe 2 se borne à organiser la procédure de
l'admission, alors que le paragraphe précédent établit les règles
de fond. Ce caractère procédural est nettement marqué par

les mots ((se fait 1)qui, en rattachant l'admission à la décision,
indiquent clairement que le paragraphe concerne uniquement la
manière dont I'admission est faite, et non l'objet du jugement
de l'Organisation, ni la nature de l'appréciation que ce jugement
comporte, ces deux questions étant traitées au paragraphe précé-
dent. Au siirplus, en parlant de la ((recommandation ))du Conseil
de Sécurité et de la ((décision 1)de l'Assemblée générale, ce
paragraphe ne vise qu'à établir les fonctions respectives de ces
deux organes, lesquelles consistent à se prononcer pour ou contre

l'admission de 1'Etat candidat, après avoir constaté que les condi-
tions prescrites sont ou non remplies.

D'autre part, le caractère politique d'un organe ne peut le
soustrdire L l'observation des dispositions conventionnelles qui
le régissent, Iorsque celles-ci constituent des limitesà son pouvoir
ou des critères à son jugement. Pour savoir si un organe a la
liberté de choisir les motifs de ses décisions, il faut se référer
aux termes de sa constitution. En l'espèce,l'article 4 fixe le cadre
dans lequel s'exerce cette liberté, cadre qui comporte une large

liberté d'appréciation. II n'y a donc aucune contradiction entre,
d'une part, les fonctions des organes politiques et, d'autre part,
le caractère limitatif des conditions prescrites.
011 a cru trouver dans les responsabilités politiques assumées
par le Conseil de Sécuritéen vertu de l'article 24 de la Charte,
un argument justifiant la nécessitéd'assurer, tant au Conseil de
Sécurité qu'àl'Assembléegénérale, uneliberté complète d'appré-
ciation en matière d'admission de nouveaux Membres. Maisla dispo-
sition de l'article24, en raison mêmede sa très grande généralité,
ne peut, en l'absence de tout texte, affecter la réglementation

spéciale de I'admission telle qu'elle ressort de l'article 4.
Les considérations qui précèdent établissent le caractère limi-
tatif des conditions énoncéesà l'article 4.

La deuxième partie de la question est relative à l'exigence
par laquelle un Membre fait dépendre son consentement à l'ad-
mission d'un candidat de l'admission d'autres candidats. It has been sought to deduce either from the second para-
graph of Article 4, or from the political character of the organ
recornmending or deciding upon admission, arguments in favour

of an interpretation of paragraph I of Article 4, to the effect that
the fulfilrnent of the conditions provided for in that Article is
necessary before the admission of a State can be recornrnended
or decided upon, but that itdoes not preclude the Members of the
Organization from advancing considerations of political expediency,
extraneous to the conditions of Article 4.
But paragraph 2 is concerned only with the procedure $or
admission, while the preceding paragraph lays down the substantive
law. This procedural character is clearly indicated by the
words "will be effected", which, by linking admission to the deci-
sion, point clearly tothe fact that the paragraph issolelyconcerned
with the manner in which admission is effected, and not witb the
subject of the judgme~t of the Organization, nor with the nature
of the appreciation involved in that judgment, these two questions
being dealt with in the preceding paragraph. Moreover, this
paragraph, in referring to the "recommendation" of the Security
Council and the "decision" of the General Assembly, is designed

only to determine the respective functions of these two organs
which consist in pronouncing upon the question whether or not
the applicant State shall be admitted to membership after having
established whether or not the prescribed conditions are fulfilled.
The political character of an organ cannot release it from
the observance of the treaty provisions established by the
Charter when they constitute limitations on its powers or criteria
for its judgment. To ascertain whether an organ has freedom of
choice for its decisions, reference must be made to the terms of
its constitution. In this case, the limits of this freedom are fixed
by Article 4 and allow for a wide liberty of appreciation. There
is therefore no conflict between the functions of the political organs,
on the one hand, and the exhaustive character of the prescribed
conditions, on the other.
It has been sought to base on the political responsibilities
assumed by the Security Council, in virtue of Article 24 of

the Charter, an argument justifying the necessity for according to
the Security Council as well as to the General Assembly complete
freedom of appreciation in connexion with the admission of new
Members. But Article 24, owing to the very general nature of its
terms, cannot, in the absence of any provision, affect the special
rules for admission which emerge from Article 4.
The foregoing considerations establish the exhaustive character
of the conditions prescribed in Article 4.

The second part of the question concerns a demand on the part
of a Member making its consent to the admission of an applicant
dependent on the admission of other applicants. 65 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES
Jugée d'après la règle que la Cour adopte dans son inter-
prétation de l'article 4, cette exigence représente évidemment
une condition nouvelle, car elle est sans rapport aucun avec celles
qui sont énoncées à l'article4. Elle se présente mêmedans un

plan tout différent, puisqu'elle fait dépendre l'admission non des
conditions exigées des candidats, conditions que l'on suppose
remplies, mais d'une considération extrinsèque qui concerne des
Etats autres que 1'Etat candidat.
D'autre part, les dispositions ' de l'article 4 impliquent
nécessairement que toute demande d'admission fasse l'objet
d'un examen et d'un vote individuels, selon ses propres mérites ;
sans quoi, il ne serait pas possible d'établir si un Etat déterminé
remplit les conditions requises. Subordonner le vote affirmatif
pour l'admission d'un Etat candidat à la condition que d'autres
Etats soient également admis, empêcherait les Membres d'exercer
leur jugement dans chaque cas avec une entière liberté, dans le
cadre des conditions prescrites. Une telle exigence serait incom-
patible avec la lettre et l'esprit de l'article4 de la Charte.

par neuf voix contre six,

est d'avis qu'un Membre de l'organisation des Nations unies,
appelé, en vertu de l'article 4 de la Charte, à se prononcer par
son vote, soit au Conseil de Sécurité, soit à l'Assembléegénérale,
sur l'admission d'un Etat comme Membre des Nations unies,
n'est pas juridiquement fondé à faire dépendre son consentement
à cette admission de conditions non expressément prévues au
paragraphe I dudit article ;

qu'en particulier, un Membre de l'organisation ne peut, alors
qu'il reconnaît que les conditionsprévues par ce texte sont remplies
par 1'Etat en question, subordonner ,son vote affirmatif à la con-
dition que, en même temps que 1'Etat dont il s'agit, d'autres
Etats soient également admis comme Membres des Nations unies.

Le présent avis a étérédigéen français et en anglais, le texte
français faisant foi. Judged on the basis of the rule which the Court adopts in its
interpretation of Article 4, such a demand clearly- constitutes
a new condition, since it is entirely unconnected with those pre-
scribed in Article4. It is also in anentirely different category from
those copditions, since it makes admission dependent, not on the
conditions required of applicants, qualifications which are supposed
to be fulfilled, but on anextraneous consideration concerning States
other than the applicant State.
The provisions of Article 4 necessarily imply that eï ery applic-
ation for admission should be examined and voted on separately
and on its own merits ; othenvise it would be impossible to
determine whether a particular applicant fulfils the necessary
conditions. To subject an affirmative vote for the admission of an
applicant State to the condition that other States be admitted with
that State would prevent Members from exercising their judgrnent
in each case with complete liberty, within the scope ofthe prescribed
conditions. Such a demand is incompatible with the letter and

spirit of Article 4 of the Charter.

by nine votes to six,

is of opinion that a Member of the United Nations which is called
upon, in virtue of Article 4 of the Charter, to pronounce itself by
its vote, either in the Security Council or in the General Assembly,
on the admission of a State to membership in the United Nations,
is not juridically entitled to make its consent to the admission
dependent on conditions not expressly provided by paragraph I
of the said Article ;

and that, in particular, a Member of the Organization canot,
while it recognizes the conditions set forth in that provision to be
fulfilled by the State concerned, subject its affirmative vote to
the additional condition that other States be admitted to member-
ship in the United Nations together with that State.

The present opinion has been drawn up in French and in English,
the French text being authoritative.66 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES

Fait au Palais de la Paix, à La Haye, le vingt-huit mai mil
neuf cent quarante-huiten deux exeniplaires, dont l'un restera
déposéaux archives de la Cour et dont l'autre sera transmis au
Secrétaire généraldes Nations unies.

Le Président de la Cour :

(Signé)J. G. GUERRERO.

Le Greffier de la Cour:

(Signé)E.HAMBRO.

MM. ALVAREZ et AZEVEDOt,out en souscrivant à l'avis de la
Cour, se prévalent du droit que leur confère l'57tdu Statut,
et joignent audit avis l'exposé de leur opinion individuelle.

MM. BASDEVANW T,INIARSKsI,irARNOLD MCNAIR, MM. READ,

ZORIEICet KRYLOVd ,éclarant ne pas pouvoir se rallier à l'avis
de la Cour et se prévalant du droit que leur confère l'ar57cle
du Statut, joignent audit avis l'exposé de leur opinion dissidente.

(Paraphé)J. G. G.

(Paraphé)E. H. Done at the Peace Palace, The Hague, this twenty-eighth day
of May, one thousand nine hundred and forty-eight, in two copies,
one of which shall be placed in the archives of the Court and the
other transmittedto the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

(Signed)J. G. GUERRERO,

President.

(Signed)E. HAMBRO,

Registrar.

Judges ALVAREZ and AZEVEDOw , hilst concurring in the opinion
of the Court, have availed themselves of the right conferred on
them by Article 57 of the Statute and appended to the opinion
a statement of their individual opinion.
Judges BASDEVANT W, INIARSKI,MCNAIR,READ, ZORICICand
KRYLOV,declarbg that they are unable to concur in the opinion
of the Court, have availed themselves of the right conferred on

them by Article 57 of the Statute and appended to the opinion
a statement of their dissenting opinion.

(Initialled) G. G.
(Initialled) EH. ANNEXE

BORDEREAU DES DOCUMENTS SOUMISA LA COUR

I. Règlement intérieur provisoire du Conseil de Sécurité(S/g6/Rev. 3.
27 janvier 1948) l.
2. Règlement intérieur de l'Assembléegénérale(A/520. 12 décembre

1947) '.
3. Articles relatifs à l'admission de nouveaux Membres (Rapport de
la Commission de l'Assembléegénérale) (A1384,p. 4, 12 septembre
1947)
4. Rapport du Comité exécutif a la Commission préparatoire des
Nations unies (PC/EX/II~/R~V. I. 12 novembre 1945) l.

5. Rapport de la Commission préparatoire des Nations unies (PC/2o.

23 décembre 1945) l.
6. Procès-verbaux des séances du Comité d'experts du Conseil de
Sécurité,visant les articles relatifs a l'admission de nouveaux
Membres l :

1946. S/Procédure 91.
)) 91, Corr. 1.
1) 92.
))
93.
)) 93, Corr. I.
1) 94.
)) 99-
)) 99, Corr. I.

1947. S/C.I/SR.~~.
» 96, Corr. 1.
)) 101.

)j 102.
» 103.
» 104.

7. Comptes rendus des séancesde la Commission mixte de procédure
constituée par l'Assemblée généraleet le Conseil de Sécurité,
visant les articles relatifs à l'admission de nouveaux Membres :
--
l Ces documents sont arrivés au Greffe de la Cour le IO février 1948.

Ces documents sont arrivés au Greffe de la Cour en partie le ~ofévrier, en
partie le 20 mars 1948.
63 ANNEX.

LIST OF DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE COURT

I. Provisional Rules of Procedure of the Security Council (SI961
Rev. 3. January 27th, 1948) l.
2. Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly (A/520. Decem-
ber ~zth, 1947) l.
3. Rules governing the admission-of new Members (Report of the
Committee of the General Assembly) (A1384, p. 4, Septem-
ber 12th. 1947) l.

3. Report by the Executive Committee to the Preparatory Com-
mission of the United Nations .PCI.XIIIZ. -.. I. Novem-
ber ~zth, 1945) l.
5. Report of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations
(PC/zo. December 23rd, 1945) l.
6. Records of the Security Council Committee of Experts Meetings
concerning the Rules on the Admission of new Members l:

1946. S/Procedure 91.
>> gr, Con. I.
1> 92.

>> 93.
, 93, Corr. I.
>> 94.
>> 99.
>f 99) Con. 1.

1947. SlC.1/sR.g6.
,, 96, Corr. I.
,, 101.
,> 102.
,, 103.
3, 104-

7. Records of the meetings of the Joint Committees appointed by
the General Assembly and the Security Council on Rules
governing the admission of new Members a:
-
l Tliese documents arrived at the Registry on February 10th. 1948.
These documents arrived at the Registry, partly on February 10th. partly
on blarch zoth, 1948.

63II7 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES

A/AC.II/SR.I.
» SR.1, Corr. I.
» SR.2.
» SR.2, Rev. 1.

» SR.3.
» SR.3, Rev. I.
» SR.4.
» SR.5.
» SR.6.
» SR.7.
» SR.8.
» SR.8, Corr.

» SR.9.
» sR.10.
1) sR.11.
8. Rapport du Comité du Conseil de Sécuritésur l'admission de

nouveaux Membres, 1946 (Procès-verbaux oficielsdu Conseil de
Sécurité, Première année,Deuxième série,Supplémentno4, p. 53) l.
9. Rapport du Conseil de Sécurité à l'Assembléegénérale sur l'ad-
mission de nouveaux Membres, 1946 (A/108, 15 octobre 1946) '.
IO. Procès-verbaux des séances du Conseil de Sécurité relatives à
l'admission de nouveaux Membres, 1946.
Procès-verbazcxoficiels du Conseil de Sécurité,Première année,
Deuxième série .:

Na 1.
u 2.
" 3.
" 4.
» 5.

» 18.
» 23.
)) 24.
» 25.
Journal du Conseil de Sécurité,Première année, no 35.

II. Procès-verbaux des séancesde la Première Commission (Assemblée
générale, Premièresession, Deuxième partie) relatives à l'admission

de nouveaux Membres, 1946 :
Journal 22, Suppl. na I - AIc.1122.
» 24, » )I I - A/C.I/~I.
» 2j, » )) I - AlC.1137.
» 26, 1) 1) 3-AIC.3143.

» 27. D )) I - AlC.1139.
a 28, » » I - Alc.1141.
)) 29, 1) A - AlP.V.47.
» 31, )) )) I - AlC.1145.
» 32, )) - AlC.1147.
)l 37, )) A - AlP.V.48.
» 38, )) A - A/P.V.qg.

' Ces documents sont arrivés au Greffe de la Cour le IO février 1948.
Ces documents sont arrivés au Greffe de la Cour en partie leIO fëvrier, en
partie le 20 mars 1948. ARTICLE 4 OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS 117
A/AC.II/SR.I.
,, SR.1, Corr. I.
,, SR.2.

,, SR.2, Rev. I.
,, SR.3.
,, SR.3, Rev. I.
,, SR.4.
,, 5x5.
,, SR.6.
,, SR.7.
,, SR.8.
,, SR.8, Corr.
9, SR.9.
,, SR.10.
,, sR.11.

8. Report of the Security Council Committee on the admission of
new Members, 1946 (Security Council Oficial Records, First
Year, Second Series, Supplement No. 4, p. 53) l.
9. Report of the Security Council to the General Assembly on the
admission of new Members, 1946 (A11o8.October 15th, 1946) l.
IO. Records of the Security Council Meetings concerning the admis-
sion of new Members, 1946.
Security Council O@cial Records, First Year, Second Series :

No. 1.
>> 2.

,, 3.
,, 4.
2 5.
,, 18.
2, 23.
,, 24.
,, 25.
Security Council Journal, First year, No. 35.

II. Records of the First Comrnittee Meetings of the Second Part
of the First Session of the General Assembly concerning the
admission of new Members, 1946 :
Journal 22, Suppl. No. 1-AlC.1/22.
,, 24, 9, ,, 1-A/C.I/~I.
,, 25, ,, ,, 1-AIc.1137.
,, 26, ,, ,, 3-AlC.3143.
27, ,, ,, 1-AlC.1139.
,, 28, ,, ,, 1-Alc.1141.

29, ,, A-AlP.V.47.
2 319 ,, ,, 1-AIc.1145.
9 32, ,, -A/c.1/47.
,, 37, ,, A-AlP.V.48.
,, 38, ,, A-AIP.V.49.
These documents arrived at the Registry on February 10th. 1948.
These documents arrived at the Registry, partly on February 10th. partly
on March 20th. 1948.

64 118 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES

12. Procès-verbaux des séances plénièresde l'Assemblée générale
(Première session, Deuxième partie) relatives à l'admission de
nouveaux Membres,1946 l(Journal n066,SupplémentA-A1P.V. 67.)
13. Rapport du Conseil de Sécuritésur l'admission de nouveaux
Membres, 1947. Procès-verbauxo@ciels du Conseil de Sécurité,
Deuxième année, Supplémentspécial no 3, Lake Success, New-

York, 1947 l.
14. Rapports du Conseil de Sécurité à l'Assemblée générals eur l'ad-
mission de nouveaux Membres, 1947 (A1406.9 octobre 1947. -
A/515. 22 novembre 1947) l.
15. Procès-verbaux des séances du Conseil de Sécurité relatives à
l'admission de nouveaux Membres, 1947.
Procès-verbaux oficielsdu Conseil de Sécurité D,euxièmeannée,no38 a:

slP.V.136. slP.V.186.
SIP.V.137. S/P.V.190.
S/P.V.151. SIP.V.197.
SIP.V.152. SIP.V.204.
SIP.V.154. SIP.V.205.
SIP.V.161. SIP.V.206.
S/P.v.168. S/P.V.~ZI.

SIP.V.178. SIP.V.222.

16. Procès-verbaux des séancesde la Première Commission de l'As-
semblée générale (Deuxième session ordinaire) relatives à l'ad-
mission de nouveaux Membres, 1947 :

A/C.I/SR. 59.
)) 59, Corr. 1.
)) 59, Corr. 2.
1) 97-
j) 98.
)) 99.
)) 100.
)) 101.
)) 102.
3 102, Corr. I.
)) 102, Corr. 2.

)) 103.

17. Procès-verbaux des séances de l'Assembléegénérale (Deuxième
session ordinaire) relatives à l'admission de nouveaux Membres,
1947 ':

Ces documents sont arrivés au Greffe de la Cour le IO février 1948.
Ces documents sont arrivés au Greffe de la Cour en partie le IO février, en
partie le 20 mars 1948.

6512. Records of the Plenary Meetings of the Second Parc of the First
Session of the General Assembly concerning the admission of new
Members, 1946 l. (Journal No. 66, Supplement A-A1P.V. 67.)
13. Report of the Security Council Committee on the admission of
new Members, 1947. Security Council Oficial Records, Second
Year, Special Supplement No. 3, Lake Success, New York, 1947 l.

14. Reports of the Security Council to the General Assembly on the
admission of new Members, 1947 (Al406 October gth, 1947.-
A/grg. November sznd, 1947) l.
15. Records of the Security CouncilMeetingsconcerning the admission
of new Members, 1947.
Security Council Oficial Records, Second Year, No. 38 :

16. Records of the First Committee Meetings of the Second Regular
Session of the General Assembly concerning the admission of
new Members, 1947 :

A/C.I/SR. 59.
,, 59, Corn. 1.
,, 59, con. 2.
,, 97.
,, 98.
99.
,, 100.
,, 101.
,, 102.
,, 102, Con. 1.
,, 102, Corr. 2.
,, 103-

Records of the meetings of the Second Regular Session of the
17. General Assembly concerning the admission of new Members,

1947
AlP.V.83. AIP.V.89.
,Y 84. ,, 90.
,, 85. ,> 92.
,, 86. ,, 96.
,, 87. ,, 117.
,, 88. ,, 118.

' These documents arrived at the Registry on February ~otli, 1948.
"These documents arrived at the Iiegistry,partly on February rotli, pnrtly
on March noth, 1948.

65 II9 ARTICLE 4 DE LA CHARTE DES NATIONS UNIES

II.- DOCUMENT MSENTIONNÉS AU COURS DE LA PROCÉDURE ORALE.

A. - Liste des annexes mentionnées dansl'exposé
de M. Kerao, Secrétaire.énéraladjoint des Nations unies :

Annexe I. Première Commission. Compte rendu sténographique de
la g8meSéance(7 nov. 1947). Exposé du représentant de la Belgique
(PP. 72-81).
Annexe 2. Ibidem. g9meSéance(7nov. 1947).Exposé du représentant
de la Pologne (pp. 41, 42).
Annexe 3. Ibidem. Intervention du représentant de l'Australie

(PP. 74, 93).
Annexe 4. Ibidem. Intervention du représentant de 1'U. R. S. S.
(pp- 242-250, 251).
Annexe 5. Ibidem. ~oomeSéance(8nov. 1947).Intervention du repré-
sentant de l'Inde (pp. 52-53).
Annexe 6. Ibidem. Intervention du représentant de l'Argentine
(p. 161).

Annexe 7. Ibidem. Intervention du représentant de la Chine
(PP. 14-20).
Annexe 8. Ibidem. IOI~~ Séance (8 nov. 1947). Intervention du
représentant du Royaume-Uni (pp. 103, 104-110).
Annexe g. Ibidem. 102me Séance (IO nov. 1947). Intervention du
représentant de la Grèce (p. 6).
Annexe IO. Ibidem. 103meSéance (IO nov. 1947). Intervention du
représentant du Salvador (p. 41).

Annexe II. Données fournies au sujet de l'admission de nouveaux
Membres par les actes de la Conférencedes Nations unies sur l'organi-
sation internationale (U. N. C. 1. O.).
Annexe 12. Admission de nouveaux Membres.

B. - Liste des annexes mentionnées dansl'exposé
de M. Kaeckenbeeck, représentantdu Gouvernement belge :

Extrait du livre Die Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit seit 1914 (Entwicklung
und heutiger Stand), du Dr Dietrich Schindler.
Extrait du livre The Function of Law in the International Community,
Far H. Lauterpacht.

Nations unies. Assembléegénérale.Doc. A1474 (13 nov. 1947).
Idem. Doc. Alp.v.113 (14 nov. 1947).
Idem. Doc. A1459 (II nov. 1947).
Idem. Doc. A/459, Corr. I (13 nov. 1947). ARTICLE 4 OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS
II9

11.-DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO DURING THE ORAL PROCEEDINGS.

A.-List of annexes mentioned in the statement by MY. Kerno,
Assistant Secrgtary-General of the United Nations :
Annex I. First Committee. Verbatim record of the 98th Meeting
(Nov. 7th, 1947). Statement by the representative of Belgium

(PP. 72-81).
Annex 2. Ibidem. 99th Meeting (Nov. 7th, 1947). Statement by
the representative of Poland (pp. 41, 42).
Ann,ex 3. Ibidem. Remarks by the representative of Australia
(PP. 747 93).
Annex 4. Ibidem. Remarks by the representative of the U.S.S.R.
(pp 242-250, 251).
Annex 5. Ibidem. 100th Meeting (Nov. 8th, 1947). Remarks by
the representative of India (pp. 52-53).

Annex 6. Ibidem. Remarks by the representative of Argentina
(p. 161).
Annex 7. Ibidem. Remarks by the representative of China
(PP 14-20).
Annex 8. Ibidem. IOIS~ Meeting (Nov. 8th, 1947). Remarks by
the representative of the United Kingdom (pp. 103, 104-110).
Annex g. Ibidem. ~oznd Meeting (Nov. ~oth, 1947). Remarks
by the representative of Greece (p. 6).
Annex IO. Ibidem. 103rd Meeting (Nov. ~oth, 1947). Remarks
by the representative of El Salvador (p. 41).

Annex II. Facts relating to the admission of new Membersprovided
by documents of the United Nations Conference on International
Organization (U.N.C.I.O.).
Annex 12. Admission of new Members.

B.-List of annexes mentioned in the statement by M. Kaeckenbeeck,
representatioe of the Belgian Government :

Extract from the book by Dr. Dietrich Schindler, Die Schieds-
gerichtbarkeit seit 1914 (Enkuicklang uxd hezrtzgerStand).
Extract from the book by H. Lauterpachi, The Function of Law
irbthe Internafional Community.
United Nations. General Assembly. Doc. A1474(Noi. 13th, 1947).

Idem. Doc. Alp.v.113 (Nov. 14th, 1947).
Idem. Doc. A1459 (Nov. th, 1947).
Idem. Doc. A/459, Corr. I (Nov. 13th, 1947).

Document file FR
Document Long Title

Advisory Opinion of 28 May 1948

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