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SETTLEMENT OF BAHRA1N-IRAN DISPUTE 319
Following conversation between Your Excellency and myself, I have
the honour to state that the Government of Iran formally requests
Your Excellency to exercise your good offices with a view to
ascertaining the true wishes of the people of Bahrain with respect to
the future status of the Islands by appointing a Personal
Representative to carry out this mission.
A copy of this letter was transmitted by the Secretary-General to
the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom on the same
date.
On 20 March 1970, the Secretary-General received from the Permanent
Representative of the United Kingdom a letter which, in its third paragraph,
confirms that the Government of the United Kingdom also wishes the
Secretary-General to exercise his good offices in the matter. The paragraph
reads as follows:
T am authorised, on behalf of the Government of the United
Kingdom (for Bahrain), to inform Your Excellency that the proposal
of the Imperial Government of Iran that Your Excellency should
exercise your good offices by sending a personal representative to
ascertain the wishes of the people of Bahrain is acceptable.’
On 20 March 1970, the Secretary-General addressed similar letters to the
Governments of Iran and the United Kingdom advising them of his
favourable response to their letters and that he would proceed without
delay to exercise his good offices in ascertaining the wishes of the people of
Bahrain in accordance with the Terms of Reference which had been agreed
upon by those two governments and conveyed to the Secretary-General. ”1

In addition, this announcement mentioned the terms of reference
agreed upon by the parties concerned and continued:

“Following consultations with the parties, the Secretary-General has
designated Mr. Vittorio Winspeare Guicciardi, Under-Secretary-General
and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, to be his
Personal Representative in ascertaining the wishes of the people of Bahrain
in pursuance of the agreed Terms of Reference.
Mr. Winspeare has advised the Secretary-General of his willingness to
undertake this assignment and the parties concerned have found his
designation fully acceptable. Mr. Winspeare has indicated his intention to
begin the good offices mission without delay, to proceed to Bahrain at a
very early date and to complete the operation as expeditiously as possible.
He will be assisted by a small staff from the Secretariat.
It has been agreed that all costs of this good offices mission will be
borne by the parties.
The Secretary-General has been assured that the people of Bahrain will
have ready and full access to his Personal Representative and will be
enabled to express their wishes to him freely and privately, without fear of
personal consequences.
The Personal Representative of the Secretary-General is to submit his
findings in the form of report to the Secretary-General who will, in turn, as
1. See Note by the Secretary-General, U.N. Document, S/9726 (28 March 1970).