165. Tnc deicgatiom of Bur ma and South Africa arc noc sarisncd that ihc nghts ani interesu of the brge Mosiem communkry would be fully safcguarded in evcr>* respea, and it they werc that ihc generał body of Mosiom would belioc ir, if Eritrea werc to be incorporatcd om-right into Ethiopia. as the Unicnius desire The two dclcgadons coosider, howoer, that the omriding aims of the politieal and cconomic associadon betwccn Eritrean and Ethiopia and ot effeedve safcguards for the rights and intrrests of the Moslems and the Italun and other minorides could be achiored by means of a federa-tion of Eritrci and Ethiopia. Such a federarion ihould take place on terms coenpauble with the sclf-rcspcct and domestic autonomy of boch countrks and provwłe for Joint rcsponsibiliry and collsctwe acóon in such EeWs as drfence, catcmal atfairi, raxation, financc, inrer-Sutc commcrcc and Communications. A customs union and a generał rułe of non-discriminadoo would also be pr er cq-uisites.
'166. A federa) plan of this naturę reeeired.consid-erablc anendoo in Sub-Comrmttce 17 of the Fiu: Com-nuttee of the Ceneral Assembly, and the Ethiopian dc lega don then iodicatcd to the Pólidcil Commirtcc 73/ chat it did not tcjcct it in principle. In the opinicn of the ddegations of Barnu and the Union of South Africa a federal solution would answer the cwo mou vital issues of ihe Eriucan problem, to which all other considcraoons are subordinate, narody, (a) the wishes and wclfarc of the peopk of Eritrea and (b) the maintenance of pcace and security in Easi Africa. For such a plan tccognucs the inalśenable right of the pcople of Eritrea to fashion their own destiny, in conjunaion with their fcderal partner on cenain comtnoo probierni, without the wishes and aspi-radons of cither of the two main seedons of the peopte of Eritrea bcing subordiruted to lhose of the other. This is as ic ihould be, sińce the two main religious and linguistic groups of the territory have Ln the past shown striking proof of their ability to co-operate with cach other, and the dclcgations of Bunna and the Union of South Africa are conrinccd, notwithsunding the vidssi-tudes of Eritrean polities, that the pcople can and will collaborate to scrve the interesu of their comroo* land in the futurę, w hen a finał decisioo to insntutc federa tion is given by the General Assembly. This desirc to cominuc to Ińre side by side U suoogly cridcnccd by the rduaancc of all groups and parries in Eritrea to issent to the pa ni tion of the country. AJthough the Unionisc and albed psrties and the Mosiem Lcague of the Western Provincc icccntly acccpccd parrition on a condicioaal basis, this took place as a direct altcrnadve to Completcly abandon-ing chcir respectivc point* of riew, without a possible symhcsis and compromise to safeguard the righu of all groups having becn considercd. The federa) plan pm forward by the delegation* of Bunna and the Union of South Africa aecor Jingly setki to prtsctvc the unity of Eritrea, thus encouragjr.g her pcople to patiem their loyatty and patriousro to oo: single design and to fmd expresv»OR ior their energy and skilJ in a onked Eritrea wjdun the framework of a federa) comtitution.
167. By this roeans recognidon will, thercforc, be accorded at one and the same tirnc to the twin facts that E/itica is ihe cornmcn rootherbnd of the highbnd Copts and lowiand Moslems and has dose hiuorical, ethnical and soda) astociationi with Ethiopia. In that way alone can peacc and security be ptesenred in this pan of East Africa. By strengthening the exisung dose economic tics between Eritrea and Ethiopia, the wclfarc of the pcople of Eritrea will, morfom, be actrieły pcomc.cd and Ethiopia*! ieptknaic daim for adcquatc a cccii to the s*a saosBed.
. 16S. The joint review by the delcgadonsofBurma, Norway and the Union of South Africa has shown io what constderable cxtcnt the lorel of Eritrean cconoeny is dependent on the technieal profidency and managtńai acrńrióes of the luliin senkrs. To a lesser cxtent this is. also truć of other forcign communhies, but they arc smaUer and k is an advirtfJge that many urban Eriueans uoderstand the Icalian language, whilc many ltalians are cooversant with the vemacular and customs of the indige-nous people. The cominuanee of Icalian enterpeise in Eritrea is viu) also for the further doflopmcnt of the territory, and the dckgauons of Burma and the Union of South Africa. therefore, considcr that the persona 1 and pcopcny ńghu of the lulian and och er forcign commu-niries in Eriuca should be safeguardcd in the federa] consdtution. In order to be fully eifeeme, the ddegations urge chat, on the suggesócn of the General AssemWy, this qucsoon should form the subjea of fricndly dacussion and agfcemcm ber* cen ihe Govemmenu of Itały and Erhiopia. In view of the declarations of these cwo Gov-emmenes to the Commtssion there is cvcry reason to belieYC that a harmonious unde/standing would be wel-comwl by both. This is highiy neccuary. Without kaUan technical guidance, Eritrea would susuin a serious economic setbaek, and that would be the my negation of the uplifunent programmes of the United Naoons and tu spcdaliied agendes.
169. The p rop osa) for federanon by the delega-dons of Burma and South Africa, thaeforc, holds tangi-ble promises fot che futurc This cannot be said an respect of rwo other Solutions which are widcly canvavscd. The coca) integrańon ot incorporadon of Eritrea into Erhiopia would arouse popular Mosiem antagonism and might lead to intcmal strife with possible estenul iiucnrendon.
71/A/C.lWJ/AdiJ. Htf
SO TK£ UNTUD NATtONS ANO 7111 lSDUlS(HSCf Of f RfTRŁA
The immediatc or futurc mdcpendencc of Eritrea. with-out ck>tc politieal associarion wfch Ethiopia, most rcwlt in the cconomic dUruption of Eritrea and in politieal upheava! on the pan of the Copric population. Nor havc ehe peop!c of Eritrea dcscloped a sufficient capacity for scIf-gOYtfnment to stand on their wn In federarion with Ethiopia, the adminUtrarive and financial burdens of governmcm would, howocr. be shared on imporratot quescions of mutual concern to the rwo coururies.
170. The delegations of Burma and the Union of South Africa accordingly submit to the General Assembly the following pr oposa It, which accord with the Commis-tion's mandate and would make it possiblc to seule the urgent problem of Eriuea in a manner which would be boch fair and effe<tivc:
(a) Eritrea to be conscituted a self-goveming unit of a federarion of which tbt other merober shall be Ethiopia, under the sovercignry of the Ethiopian crown;
(b) Each men*.ber shall poiscu local legUlative and OŁCCutive autonomy, but fuli auchcriry shall be vt*tcd in the federal governmcnt with icgard to suth maners as defence, cxternal affain, taxation, financc, imer-State commerce and coenmunkarions;
(c) A customs union betwccn* the two members
shall be obSgatory; • * -
(d) A common citiienshłp shall prcvail throughout the federarion. No discriminarion shall be practiscd as regard* religious, persona!, civic cr properry righu and cqual righu and privileges shall be guarantccd.in the constiturion for all minorities;
(e) Tbc federarion shall be csublished following a transilional period not ejtccc&flg th/ec ycarsl Duiing this period the currenc affairs of the territory shall continuc to be conductcd by the petsenr Adminimarion, subpet to the undersunding that residenu of Eritrea shall be inductcd in officc as much as possiblc, and that the General Assembly shall appoiot an adrisory council con-surirg of the United Kingdom, Ethiopia and Egypt to ar/ange for the transfer of power to the pcople of Eritrea and, in conf unerion with the Go* c ram cm of Ethiopia and an e learic assembly of Eritreans to be csublished for the purpose, to ensure the formulation of ihe fednal corori-furion;
lf) The establishment of the Federarion of Eriuea and Ethiopia shall be dedared by the General Assembly of the United Nations as soco as śu adrisory council certi Ecs that the federalconstitution has been adopted by the Gorce runem of Ethiopia and the Eritrean Aisembly.
Suigfiticni by th< de/rfdfrOff of Burma
17], The dclegation ofBurmauinagreement with the dclegation of the Union of South Africa that the General Assembly should causc the de taili of the pro-
poscJ tcdcral plan to hc worke J out. For the pridatKtr uI the Assembly, the dclegation of Burma suhmits the tul-lowmg detailcd provisions whuh, it suggeats, might iuhl a suiublc place w the federai plan and constiturion; .
(i) The govcmmcntal structutc of the two States of Ethiopia and Eriuea shall bd federal and shaU consist of a federal gowmment and goveraments of Ethiopia and Eritrea, with the Empcror of Ethiopia as the constitu-tional Head.
(ii) Among the or gam of govtmmcnt there shall be an execurivc body, a federal body and a federal court;
(iii) Tne federal UgisbttYC body shall bc eomposed of two ehambers;
liv) Eirerion to iu fint chamber shall be on the basis of proportional represenution of the population as a wholc;
(v) Election to its setond chambcr shall bc on the
basis of equal representatlon of the Ethicpian and Eritrean pcople; * ,
(vi) The federal legislatitc body shall be cm po w-ered to lcgislate on all marten emrusted to the federal government;
(via) Legislation shall be cnrc.ed when approvedby a majority of votef in boch ehambers of the federai legisUtive body;
% (viiij Fuli authoricy shall be vc«ed in the federal &ovcnvncnc with regard to defence, caternal affain, tara-tion, financc, and intcr-Statc commerce and communica-ricat;
(łx) The execucśve branch of the federal govcm-ment shall be rcsponsible to ihc federal legislacje body;
(x) The federal court shall bc the finał coun of appcal with regard to coaicinjrionil maners;
(xi) The members of the federal court shall bc appointed by the Empcror with the appcoval of both cham bers of the federal legislacje body;
(xia) All decisions of the federal court arc finał;
(xiii) There shall be but one ćriimship thiougbout the federarion;
(xiv) The constiturion shall guarancce equal righu and pcMlegcs for all minorities, ircctpccrive of race or religion;
(xv) The iwo States of Erhiopia and Eritrea shall cr.joy fuli powen of local *elf-$ovcmment in all matters other chan defence, externa! affain, financc and inter- , State commerce and Communications and shall pass such local laws and reguła riont as may be dcsirablc, subjcct oniy to the prorisiockf of the federal constiturion.
VID. Proposals by the ddegation of Norway
. 172. The drlegation of Norway subsoibea to the faaual rcvvcw elaborated in agrerment with the dclega-tions of Burma and of the Union of South Africa and to
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