United Nations General Assembly Resolution 498
| UN General Assembly Resolution 498 | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 1st 1951 |
| Meeting no. | 327 |
| Code | A/RES/498 (V) (Document) |
| Subject | Intervention of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China in Korea |
Voting summary |
44 voted for 7 voted against 9 abstained |
| Result | Adopted |
The United Nations General Assembly resolution 498 was approved on February 1, 1951, in response to the intervention of Chinese troops in Korean War.
It was the first time in which United Nations treated a nation as an aggressor.[1]
Background
In late 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops crossed into North Korea to help the troops of North Korea to fight the coalition led by United States and South Korea.[1]
The General Assembly vote followed unsuccessful attempts by the U.S. delegation to the United Nations to have the Security Council take action against the Chinese. Exercising his nation’s veto power, the Soviet representative on the Security Council consistently blocked the U.S. effort. Turning to the General Assembly, the U.S. delegation called for the United Nations to condemn communist China as an aggressor in Korea.[1]
The resolution in few words
The resolution had 3 main points:
- The aggression of the People's Republic of China is condemned
- The Chinese troops are exhorted to leave Korea
- The United Nations member states are exhorted to continue supporting the U.N. troops in Korea [2]
The voting in detail
For
Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Republic of China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Against
Burma, Byelorrusian SSR, Czechoslovakia, India, Poland, Ukrainian SSR, USSR.
Abstentions
Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Syria, Yemen, Yugoslavia.[3]
Aftermath
The action was largely symbolic, because many nations were reluctant to take more forceful action against the People’s Republic of China for fear that the conflict in Korea would escalate. While economic and political sanctions could have been brought against China, the United Nations decided to take no further action. The Korean War continued for 2 more years, finally ending in a stalemate and an armistice in 1953.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "This day in History: U.N. condemns PRC for aggression". A&E Television Networks. 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ↑ "A/RES/498 (V)" (PDF). United Nations. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ↑ "The Question of Korea". Yearbook of the United Nations 1951. New York City: United Nations. 1951. p. 224. OCLC 867230999. Retrieved 2 April 2015.