Actions Taken by Governments Concerning Sporting Contacts with South Africa
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Against Apartheid in Sports: Actions taken by governments concerning sporting contacts with South Africa http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.nuun1976_03 Use of the Aluka digital library is subject to Aluka’s Terms and Conditions, available at http://www.aluka.org/page/about/termsConditions.jsp. By using Aluka, you agree that you have read and will abide by the Terms and Conditions. Among other things, the Terms and Conditions provide that the content in the Aluka digital library is only for personal, non-commercial use by authorized users of Aluka in connection with research, scholarship, and education. The content in the Aluka digital library is subject to copyright, with the exception of certain governmental works and very old materials that may be in the public domain under applicable law. 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For more information about Aluka, please see http://www.aluka.org Against Apartheid in Sports: Actions taken by governments concerning sporting contacts with South Africa Alternative title Notes and Documents - United Nations Centre Against ApartheidNo. 3/76 Author/Creator United Nations Centre against Apartheid Publisher United Nations, New York Date 1976-01-00 Resource type Reports Language English Subject Coverage (spatial) South Africa Coverage (temporal) 1968 - 1976 Source Northwestern University Libraries Description "This paper is intended to provide a summary of actions taken by Governments in accordance with the requests of the General Assembly to terminate contacts with racially selected sports teams from South Africa. It is based on information provided by Governments in communications to the Secretary-General or the Special Committee against Apartheid; statements in the General Assembly or the Special Political Committee; and other available information." Format extent 28 page(s) (length/size) http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.nuun1976_03 http://www.aluka.org NOTES AND DOCUMENTS* NOTES AND DOCUMENTS* AGAINST APARTHEID January 1976 IN SPORTS Actions taken by governments concerning sporting contacts with South Africa 3/76 7T-03127 * All material in these notes and documents may be freely reprinted. Acknowledgement, together with a copy of the publication containing the reprint, would be appreciated. Introduction This paper is intended to provide a summary of actions taken by Governments in accordance with the requests of the General Assembly to terminate contacts with racially selected sports teams from South Africa. It is based on information provided by Governments in communications to the Secretary-General or the Special Committee against Apartheid; statements in the General Assembly or the Special Political Committee; and other available information. The information contained herein is not complete as regards international action against apartheid in sports in South Africa. It concerns actions by Governments alone. It may be noted, for instance, that the sports organizations in a number of countries have taken effective action on their own initiative or in consultation with their Governments. Before summarizing the actions of Governments, the relevant provisions of the resolutions of the General Assembly may be recalled. In resolution 2396 (XXIII) of 2 December 1968, paragraph 12, the Assembly requested "all States and organizations to suspend cultural, educational, sporting and other exchanges with the racist regime and with organizations or institutions in South Africa which practise apartheid". In resolution 2671 C (XXV) of 8 December 1970, paragraph 8, it reiterated this request. In 1971, the General Assembly adopted a special resolution resolution 2775 D (1XxVI) of 29 November 1971 - on "apartheid in sports". It reads inter alia: 1. Declares its unqualified support of the Olympic principle that no discrimination be allowed on the grounds of race religion or political affiliation; 2. Affirms that merit should be the sole criterion for participation in sports dctivities; 3. Solemnly calls upon all national and international sports organizations to uphold the Olympic principle of non-discrimination and to discourage and deny support to sporting events organized in violation of this principle; 4. Calls upon individual sportsmen to refuse to participate in any sports activity in a country in which there is an official policy of racial discrimination or apartheid in the field of sports; 5. Urges all States to promote adherence to the Olympic principle of non-discrimination and to encourage their sports organizations to withhold support from sporting events organized in violation of this principle; 6. Requests national and international sports organizations and the public to deny any form of recognition to any sports activity from which persons are debarred or in which they are subjected to any discrimination on the basis of race, religion or political affiliation; 7. Condemns the actions of the Government of South Africa in enforcing racial discrimination and segregation in sports; 8. Notes with regret that some national and international sports organizations have continued exchanges with teams from South Africa that have been selected for international competition on the basis of competition closed to otherwise qualified sportsmen solely on the basis of their race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin; 9. Commends those international and national sports organizations that have supported the international campaign against apartheid in sports; 10. Requests all States to urge their national sports organizatitns to act in accordance with the present resolution ... In resolution 2923 E (XXVII) of 15 November 1972, paragraph 14, the General Assembly requested "all States to take appropriate steps in accordance with General Assembly resolution 2775 D (XXVI) to uphold the Olympic principle of non-discrimination in sports and to withhold any support from sporting events organized in violation of this principle, particularly with the participation of racially selected teams from South Africa". In paragraph 16 of that resolution, the Assembly invited all organizations, institutions and information media to organize campaigns in 1973 on various issues, including "boycott of South Africa in sports and any cultural and other activities". In resolution 3151 G (XXVIII) of 14 December 1973, paragraphs 9 and 10, the Assembly stated: 9. Commends Governments which have boycotted, and organizations and individuals that have campaigned for the boycott of exchanges with racially selected sports teams from South Africa; 10. Calls upon all Governments which have not yet done so: (a) To take all necessary action to ensure the cessation of exchanges with South African sports teams selected in violation of the Olympic principle; (b) To draw the attention of national sports organizations to the provisions of United Nations resolutions on apartheid in sports; (c) To deny any assistance or recognition to exchanges with racist sports teams from South Africa; (d) To end all cultural, educational and civic contacts and exchanges with racist institutions in South Africa. In resolution 3324 E (XXIX) of 16 December 1974, paragraph 9 (c), the Assembly requested all Governments "to prohibit all cultural, educational, scientific, sporting and other contacts with the racist regime and with organizations or institutions in South Africa which practise .partheid". In 1975, the General Assembly again adopted a separate resolution on "apartheid in sports", stressing the importance of the sports boycott of South Africa. Resolution 3411 E (XXX), adopted unanimously on 28 November 1975, read: The General Assembly, Recalling and reaffirming its resolution 2775 D (XXVI) of 29 November 1971 on apartheid in sports, Noting that the campaign for the boycott of South African sports teams, selected on the basis of apartheid and in violation of the Olympic ppinciple of non-discrimination, has been an important measure which has effectively demonstrated the abhorrence of apartheid on the part of Governments and peoples, Rejecting the attempts of the racist regime to gain acceptance for participation in international sports by superficial and insignificant modifications of apartheid, Noting with regretthat some national and international sports bodies have continued contacts with racist South African sports bodies in violation of the Olympic principle and the resolutions of the United Nations, Condemning the racist regime of South Africa for its repressive measures against non-racial sports bodies in South Africa, 1. Reaffirms its unqualified support of the Olympic principle that no discrimination be allowed on the grounds of race, religion or political affiliation; 2. Commends all Governments, sports bodies and other organizations which have taken action, in pursuance of the Olympic principle and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, for the boycott of racially selected South African sports bodies or teams; 3. Calls upon all Governments, sports bodies and other organizations: (a) To refrain from all contacts with sports bodies established on the basis of aparthei or racially selected sports teams from South Africa; (b) To exert all their influence to secure the full implementation