Recognition

Admission of Angola to the United Nations, 1976

After the Security Council failed to recommend Angola for membership in June 1976, it did so in November 1976, and the General Assembly admitted the People's Republic of Angola in December.

What happened

At a meeting on 23 June 1976, the Security Council, "having failed to recommend the People's Republic of Angola for membership, approved a special report to the General Assembly" rather than a recommendation, under the Council's procedural rules for such an outcome.[1] According to a general-reference account of United States-Angola relations, this outcome followed a US veto motivated by the presence of Cuban troops supporting the MPLA government in Angola.[2] The Council reconsidered the application in November 1976 and, at its 1974th meeting on 22 November, recommended Angola's admission by 13 votes to none, with the United States abstaining rather than vetoing; China did not participate in the vote.[3][2]

The General Assembly admitted the People's Republic of Angola to UN membership at its 84th plenary meeting on 1 December 1976.[4]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: At its 1932nd meeting on 23 June 1976, the Security Council, "having failed to recommend the People's Republic of Angola for membership, approved a special report to the General Assembly, in accordance with rule 60 of the provisional rules of procedure," rather than adopting a recommendation.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 397 (1976) and related decisions (United Nations, 22 November 1976) link, decisions preceding resolution 397. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: According to a general-reference account of United States-Angola relations, the United States vetoed Angola's UN membership application at the Security Council's 23 June 1976 meeting, motivated by the presence of Cuban troops supporting the MPLA government in Angola; the United States abstained rather than vetoing when the Council recommended Angola's admission at its 22 November 1976 meeting.

    • Angola–United States relations (Wikipedia) link, Cold War and Angolan Civil War section. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: At its 1974th meeting on 22 November 1976, the Security Council recommended to the General Assembly that the People's Republic of Angola be admitted to UN membership, by 13 votes to none with one abstention (the United States); China did not participate in the vote.

    • United Nations Security Council, Security Council resolution 397 (1976) and related decisions (United Nations, 22 November 1976) link, resolution text and voting record. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: The UN General Assembly decided to admit the People's Republic of Angola to membership in the United Nations at its 84th plenary meeting on 1 December 1976, following the Security Council's recommendation of 22 November 1976.

    • United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly resolution 31/44: Admission of the People's Republic of Angola to membership in the United Nations (United Nations, 1 December 1976) link, operative paragraph and meeting note. Source record

Source note

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