Items-In-Africa - Question of Namibia - Implementation of Security Council Resolutions 319, 435, 439, and 473 - Reports of the Secretary-General
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UN Secretariat Item Scan - Barcode - Record Title Page 27 Date 06/06/2006 Time 11:29:19 AM S-0902-0002-03-00001 Expanded Number S-0902-0002-03-00001 items-in-Africa - Question of Namibia - implementation of Security Council Resolutions 319, 435, 439, and 473 - reports of the Secretary-General Date Created 15/11/1972 Record Type Archival Item Container s-0902-0002: Peacekeeping - Africa 1963-1981 Print Name of Person Submit Image Signature of Person Submit UNITED NATIONS Press Section Office of Public Information United Nations, N.Y. (FOR USE OF INFORMATION MEDIA. -- NOT AN OFFICIAL RECORD) Press Release SG/SM/iySl • , • - ' SC/3370 • 28 November 1972 TEXT OF STATEMENT BY SECRETARY-GENERAL ON QUESTION OF NAMIBIA IN SECURITY COUNCIL.ON 28 NOVEMBER > Following is the text of a statement by Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim on the question of Namibia to the Security Council on 28 November 1972: Madam President, , . } / ' I have not had the opportunity to address the Security Council since you assumed the presidency of the Council, It therefore gives me great pleasure to eirtend to you ray congratu3.ati.ons. It is of special significance that you should, earn the distinction of being the first woman to preside over the Council during its twenty-seven years of existence. It is also fitting that you should preside at a time when the Council has been primarily concerned with the problems relating to the great continent of Africa, In the few months that you have represented your country 'at the United Nations, and in particular during the present month as .President of the Security Council, you have not only given able leadership, but also made constructive contributions to the deliberations of the Council. In paying tribute to you, Madam President/ we are also honouring the Government and people of Guinea for their outstanding contribution to the work of the United Nations. ~ ' • ' ' . • \ Members of the Council will recall that the discussions which led to the adoption in Addis Ababa of resolution 309 (1972) on k February 1QJ2 first took place in the Council during its debate on Namibia in October 1971- *n that resolution, the Secretary-General vas 'entrusted.with the'mandate of initiating contacts with the parties concerned, which, inter alia, entailed meetings with the representatives of the people of Namibia and the Government of South Africa. • . _ • .In compliance with my mandate, I initiated the necessary contacts and' reported to the Security Council on 17 July 1972 (S/10738).. On the basis of my report,'the Council, by resolution 319 (1972) of 1 August 1972, invited me to continue contacts with all parties concerned, "with a view to establish- ing the necessary conditions so as to enable the people of Namibia, freely and with strict regard to the principles of human equality, to exercise their right to self-determination and independence, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations." (more) Statement by the Secretary-General on the question of Namibia at the l6?8th meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday, 28 November 1972 Madame le President, N'avant pas~eu jusqu'a. la pre'sente seance I1 occasion de prendre la parole devant le Conseil de securite depuis que vous en-avez assume' la presidence, c'est avec un tres grand plaisir que je vous presente aujourd'hui mes felicitations, II me semble particull element significatif que ce soit-a vous/que revienne 1'honneur d'etre la premiere femme qui aifr-ete' appeiee a presider aux deliberations du Conseil depuis vingt-sept ans qu'il existe et c'est une coincidence des plus heureuses que vous ayez pris la presidence au moment ou le Conseil se preoccupe avant tout des problemes relatifs au grand continent africain. Au cours des quelques mois ou vous avez represente votre pays aupre~s de I1Organisation des Nations Unies et plus particulierement au cours du mois ou vous avez exerce la presidence du Conseil, vous avez su non seulement diriger les deliberations du Conseil avec competence, mais aussi apporter a ses debats des contributions des plus construc- tives. L'hommage que nous vous rendons, Madame le President, est--egalement un-honneur que nous rendons au gouvernement et au peuple de Guinee pour leur contribution exceptionnelle a 1'oeuvre de 1'Organisation des Nations Unies. Statement by the Secretary-General on the question of Namibia at the 1678th meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday, 28 November 1972 Madam President, I have not had the opportunity before this meeting to address the Security Council since you assumed the presidency of the Council. It therefore gives me great pleasure to extend to you my congratulations. It is of special significance that you should earn the distinction of being the first woman to preside over the Council during its twenty-seven years of existence. It is also fitting that you should preside at a time when the Council has beenprimarily concerned with the problems relating to the great continent of Africa. In the few months that you have represented your country at the United Nations, and in particular during the present month as President of the Security Council, you have not only given able leadership, but also made constructive contributions to the deliberations of the Council. In paying tribute to you, Madam President, we are also honouring the Government and people of Guinea for their outstanding contribution to the work of the United Nations, Iw """ Members of the Council will recall that the discussions which led to the adoption in Addis Ababa of resolution 309 (1972) on 4 February 1972 first took place in the Council during its debate on Namibia in October 1971. In that resolution, the Secretary-General was entrusted with the mandate of initiating contacts with the parties con- cerned, which, inter alia, entailed meetings with the representatives of the people of Namibia and the Government of South Africa. In compliance with my mandate, I initiated the necessary contacts and reported to the Security Council on 17 July 1972(3/10738). On the basis of my report, the Council, by resolution 319 (1972) of 1 August 1972, invited me to continue contacts with all parties concerned, "with a view to establishing the necessary conditions so as to enable the people of Namibia, freely and with strict regard to the principles of human equality,to exercise ft their right to self-determination and independence, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations." — 3 — In conformity with paragraph 5 of the same resolution, I appointed Ambassador Alfred Martin Escher of Switzerland to assist me in the discharge of my mandate. He spent seven weeks in carrying out his task. His report on the results of his contacts with the parties concerned is annexed to my report (S/10832), which is now before the Council. Within the time available, the representative was able to make an extensive tour of Namibia and to mset with and obtain the views of a wide cross-section of the population of Namibia. The evidence gathered during these contacts, as summarized in Section II of the representa- tive's report, will,I am sure, be of assistance to the Council. At the outset, I should like to say that the report of the representative leaves unanswered or unresolved a number of issues which continue to occupy the minds of all - 4 - of us. The most pressing of these is the question of clarification by South Africa of its policy of self- determination and independence with regard to Namibia. In this regard the Security Council insists that the ob;jectives of self-determination, national unity and independence be first agreed upon and clearly stipulated and the measures for achieving them worked out subsequently, The South African Government on the other hand has expressed the view that a detailed discussion of the interpretation of self-determination and independence could be undertaken with better results pjice_fc]ie_ne_cessary conditions are established and the inhabitants have had more administrative and political experience. In other words South Africa places priority on measures for achieving political advancement without defining the ultimate goal. It speaks of "self-determination and r m la»<**B****&<m>in**~^~«*-'*'' '"-' '''''$ independence" as its aim, but so far has not committed ^-^————•MMnMiwimrr -• ••"• itself to a precise definition. One useful aspect of the report of the representative is the fact that it has removed any doubts that might have existed about the political aspirations of the people of Namibia. The evidence received by the representative makes it clear that the majority of the population in Namibia support the establishment of a united Independent Namibia and expect the assistance of the United Nations in bringing this about. The report of the representative also provides information on certain proposals made by the Prime Minister of South Africa. The Prime Minister stated that: (T) he would be prepared to establish an "advisory council" drawn from representatives of the various regions, regional governments or authorities, and he would assume over-all responsibility for the Territory as a whole - i.e. distinct from the Ministries now responsible for different sectors; ($) he would examine •S35S5. the possibility of removing certain restrictions on freedom of movement; (iSi.) he was in agreement that ggSSSB1 there should be legitimate political activity, including freedom of speech and the holding of meetings. While the implementation of some of these proposals could represent a partial shift in attitude by South Africa in response to the efforts of the United Nations, - 6 - I recognize that they do not measure up to the expectations of the members of the Council. Other proposals put forward by Prime Minister Vorster would seem to be in conflict with the principles which guide the United Nations in dealing with the problem of Namibia and would require further clarification before they could be properly assessed.