Memorandum from Frederick H. Boland to Éamon de Valera (Dublin)

The draft Resolution for Dáil Éireann on the question of membership of UNO is attached.¹

2. The draft has been prepared with an eye on Article 4 of the Charter, which reads:-
   

   'Membership in the United Nations is open to all 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 attached draft covers our acceptance of the obligations contained in the Charter, but says nothing about our being a peace-loving State. If the latter point were to be covered in the Resolution, it might perhaps be done by inserting after the words 'Dáil Éireann' a phrase repeating the terms of Article 29.1 of the Constitution, viz:-

   'affirming its devotion to the ideal of peace and friendly co-operation amongst nations founded on international justice and morality and being willing to ...'

3. The final phrase - 'as soon as they consider it opportune to do so' - is, we understand, that used in the Resolution of the Swedish Riksdag. A possible alternative would be 'as soon as it may be opportune to do so'; but this more neutral phrase would beg the question who would judge the question of opportunity.
4. It is, of course, the Member of the United Nations Organisation concerned which accepts the obligations of the Charter. The constitutional organ for their acceptance in our case is the Government, not the Dáil. Accordingly, the draft suggests that the Dáil should 'assent' to acceptance rather than 'accept'. Again, 'assent to acceptance' is perhaps a better phrase than 'approves acceptance', the latter phrase implying a degree of approbation of the provisions of the United Nations Charter which some members of the Dáil might be disposed to question.