UN Decision 32/424: Formal UFO Study Resolution Passed
The UN General Assembly passes Decision 32/424, requesting that 'the Secretary-General be requested to convey the views of Member States on the subject of unidentified flying objects to the General Assembly at its thirty-third session.' This is the first and only formal UN resolution on UFOs. The decision is the direct result of Gairy's lobbying efforts and the October 7 presentation. However, Gairy is overthrown in a coup in March 1979, and the initiative loses its champion. The resolution is never meaningfully acted upon.
Background
EVENT TITLE: UN Decision 32/424: Formal UFO Study Resolution Passed
EVENT DATE: 1977-12-13
EVENT TYPE: legislation
1. The UN General Assembly passed Decision 32/424 on December 13, 1977, acknowledging a resolution regarding unidentified flying objects. The decision requested the Secretary-General to gather and present member states' views on UFOs to the subsequent General Assembly session. This marks the first and only formal UN resolution concerning UFOs.
The Incident
Wellington Friday gave an hour-long speech suggesting the UN study UFO sightings, alleged contacts with aliens, and work to make UFO data more accessible. He appealed to U.N. Secretary General Kurt Waldheim to convene UFO hearings. The U.S. delegation expressed that they could not support the resolution, especially a segment that suggested governments share their UFO data. Britain agreed, and arranged for a closed-door session during which it was decided that the Grenadan proposal would be too time consuming and expensive to implement.
On December 13, the U.N. General Assembly adopted Decision 32/424. This decision acknowledged the resolution, forwarded it to interested member states, and shelved the matter until the next general assembly convened. This allowed time for member nations to evaluate their UFO data.
Investigation
The UN Secretary-General was requested to convey the views of Member States on the subject of unidentified flying objects to the General Assembly at its thirty-third session. Waldheim assured the Grenadans that the matter would be addressed as soon as “126 global issues ranging from disarmament, to human rights and terrorism had been shelved...”
Significance
Decision 32/424 represents the first and only formal UN resolution on UFOs. The Grenada delegation's request for a UN study of UFOs was considered audacious and risky, potentially leading to an acknowledgment of an extraterrestrial presence by a major global institution. However, the decision ultimately resulted in the matter being shelved, with only a few governments and agencies responding.