Page 176 - The Arabian Gulf States_Neat

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j 114 THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE ARABIAN GULF STATES
and Social Council of the United Nations in accordance with Article II
1 of the Agreement between the United Nations and (UNESCO) and that it
: be placed before the Executive Board and, as appropriate, the General
Conference of the Organisation, in accordance with the provisions of
! Article II, paragraph 2, of the Constitution, at the earliest opportunity.
I hereby state, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 92, paragraph 1,
! of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference of (UNESCO), that
: Kuwait is willing to abide by the Constitution of the Organisation, to accept
'
the obligations contained therein, and to contribute to the expenses of the
1 Organisation.1
In support of this application, a letter, dated 23 May I960, from
l the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office to the Director-General of the
UNESCO stated:
I am directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to state that
Her Majesty’s Government have been informed that a communication has
' been addressed by the Ruler of Kuwait to the UNESCO making application
i on behalf of Kuwait for admission to UNESCO as a full Member State in
accordance with paragraph 2 of Article II of the Constitution of the Or­
i ganisation. Her Majesty’s Government hope that arrangements will be
made for the application of Kuwait to be considered at the 11th Session of
General Conference of UNESCO to be held next November.
I am to state in this connection that Her Majesty’s Government regard
!
Kuwait as responsible for the conduct of her international relations.2
It may be submitted that the significance of the above-mentioned
procedure of admitting Kuwait to full membership of the UNESCO
lies in the fact that this Shaikhdom was admitted to the Organisation
under the provisions of Article 2, paragraph (2) of its Constitution.
This Article specifically provides for membership of ‘States not
members of the United Nations’. The procedure for membership
under this Article requires, as a qualification for such membership,
‘two-thirds majority vote of the General Conference’ of the Organisa­
tion. By securing membership under this procedure, Kuwait was thus
regarded by the members of the Organisation as a sovereign State
having capacity to enter into international agreements. And the
British Government’s statement—that ‘Her Majesty’s Government
regard Kuwait as responsible for the conduct of her international
relations’—was a confirmation of this fact.

WAR
It has been generally assumed that one of the essential characteristics
of States of full international status is their power to declare war, or
1 For the text of the Ruler of Kuwait’s Application, signed by Deputy Ruler,
Shaikh Sir Abdulla as-Sabah, see U.N. Economic and Social Council, E/3363/
2 For the British Foreign Office letter, signed by J. G. Tahourdin, see U.N.
Economic and Social Council, E/3363/Add. 2, p. 4.