QUESTIONS RELATING TO AFRICA 99 CHAPTER VII QUESTIONS RELATING TO AFRICA MATTERS CONCERNING SOUTH AFRICA'S APARTHEID POLICIES During 1968, the South African Government's sanctions against South Africa. The Assembly apartheid policies continued to be examined by also condemned the actions of those States, the General Assembly and by its 11-member particularly the main trading partners of South Special Committee on the Policies of Apartheid Africa, and the activities of those foreign finan- of the Government of the Republic of South cial and other interests, which through their Africa. The question was also considered by the political, economic and military collaboration Economic and Social Council, by the Commis- with the Government of South Africa encour- sion on Human Rights and by the International aged it to persist in its racial policies. The As- Conference on Human Rights (held at Teheran, sembly appealed for greater moral, political and Iran, from 22 April to 13 May 1968). material assistance to the South African libera- Reporting in 1968 to the twenty-third session tion movement in its legitimate struggle. It of the General Assembly and to the Security expressed grave concern, furthermore, over the Council, the Special Committee on Apartheid ruthless persecution of opponents of apartheid reviewed its special June session in Europe which under arbitrary laws, declared that freedom was designed to give further impetus to the fighters should be treated as prisoners of war, international campaign against apartheid. The condemned South Africa for its treatment of Special Committee stated that the situation in political prisoners, appealed for intensified efforts South Africa was deteriorating, and That there to induce the South African Government to re- was increased danger of a wider conflict arising lease all such persons and to stop persecution of from the extension of apartheid to neighbouring opponents of apartheid, and requested the areas. It reaffirmed its conviction that the reso- Secretary-General to publicize registers of such lutions of the General Assembly and the Security persons and acts of brutality perpetrated against Council provided an appropriate framework for them. Commending the activities of anti-apart- international action, if fully implemented by all heid movements assisting victims of apartheid, States, and that universally applied economic the Assembly invited generous contributions sanctions under Chapter VII1 of the Charter for their support, urged official discourage- were the most effective means for solving the ment of any propaganda activities supporting problem of apartheid. racial discrimination and also discouragement The General Assembly considered the Special of the flow of immigrants to South Africa, as Committee's report together with the report of well as suspension of cultural and sporting ex- the Secretary-General on the United Nations changes with the South African Government Trust Fund for South Africa and a note by the and organizations practicing apartheid. The Secretary-General on the implementation of a Assembly also requested intensified dissemination previous resolution of the Assembly. of information on the evils of apartheid and On 2 December 1968, the General Assembly establishment of national organizations for en- adopted a resolution whereby it reiterated its lightening public opinion on those evils. condemnation of apartheid as a crime against Other actions taken by the Assembly in re- humanity, reaffirmed the urgent necessity to gard to apartheid included the adoption of reso- eliminate the policies of apartheid so that the lutions related to capital punishment in southern people of southern Africa could exercise their Africa, the United Nations Trust Fund for right to self-determination and majority rule South Africa, the United Nations Educational based on universal suffrage, and requested the and Training Programme for Southern Africa, Security Council urgently to adopt, under Chap- 1 Chapter VII of the Charter concerns action with ter VII of the Charter, measures ensuring full respect to threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, implementation of comprehensive mandatory and acts of aggression. For text, see APPENDIX ii. 100 POLITICAL AND SECURITY QUESTIONS combating racial discrimination and the policies by the Assembly, including, for example, the of apartheid and segregation in southern Africa Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statu- and to the report of the Ad Hoc Working Group tory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes of Experts on the treatment of political prisoners against Humanity. in South Africa. Apartheid was further dealt These and other decisions of United Nations with in the context of other measures considered organs are described in the sections below. POLITICAL AND RELATED DEVELOPMENTS REPORT OF SPECIAL tions on the question of apartheid, and draw COMMITTEE ON APARTHEID the attention of the States concerned to the The General Assembly's Special Committee grave responsibility which they bore for the on the Policies of Apartheid of the Government deteriorating situation. Those States, the Com- of the Republic of South Africa submitted its mittee observed, should be called upon to im- report to the Security Council and the General plement the resolutions already adopted and to Assembly on 4 October 1968. The report in- facilitate further effective measures. cluded a review of the Special Committee's The Special Committee recommended that work during 1968 and new developments in urgent measures be taken to ensure the full South Africa since the previous report, sub- implementation of the arms embargo against mitted on 17 October 1967.2 The Committee South Africa already decided upon by the Se- also submitted its conclusions and recommen- curity Council in view of the fact that the dations for consideration by the Assembly and South African Government was using its mili- the Council. tary power not only to impose its racial policies The Committee took note of the main points but also to defy the decisions of the United that had emerged from a special session which Nations with regard to Namibia (South West it had held in Stockholm, Sweden, in London, Africa) and Southern Rhodesia and to threaten United Kingdom, and in Geneva, Switzerland, independent African States. It considered that in June 1968. The situation in southern Africa further mandatory measures should be taken, had taken on a new dimension, the report stated, under Chapter VII of the United Nations Char- as a result of South Africa's intervention in ter, to stop the flow of all capital investment Southern Rhodesia and the Portuguese terri- and migrants, particularly skilled and technical tories, and of South Africa's continued illegal personnel, to South Africa, as foreign capital occupation of Namibia (South West Africa) .3 and technical personnel continued to play a Another factor cited which had changed the significant role in facilitating the development situation was the decision by the liberation move- of the manufacture of arms and military equip- ment in South Africa to engage in armed strug- ment in South Africa and in preparations to gle as the only possible means of realizing its resist international economic sanctions.4 objectives. The Special Committee also noted The Special Committee stated that, although that one of the main conclusions of the special the people of South Africa had a primary role session was that South Africa's involvement in in the campaign to secure an end of apartheid the affairs of the region as a whole had made and to resolve the situation in South Africa, it it necessary to view the South African situation was the duty of the United Nations and the in the context of developments in southern international community to assist, in appropriate Africa as a whole. Considering that the failure of the United 2 See Y.U.N., 1967, pp. 81-83. 3 On 12 June 1968, with the adoption of resolution Nations to solve the situation in South Africa 2372 (XXII), the General Assembly proclaimed that was to be attributed largely to the fact that rele- South West Africa should henceforth be known as vant United Nations resolutions had not been Namibia. As the proceedings of the Special Committee implemented by the main trading partners of on Apartheid, referred to above, occurred prior to 12 South Africa, the Special Committee deemed it June 1968, Namibia was then referred to as South West Africa. essential that the General Assembly and the 4 For text of Chapter VII of the Charter, see Security Council should reaffirm their resolu- APPENDIX IL QUESTIONS RELATING TO AFRICA 101 ways, its legitimate struggle. It therefore recom- Discrimination, in solidarity with the oppressed 5 mended that the General Assembly should people of South Africa. The Special Committee strongly reaffirm its recognition of the legitimate on the Policies of Apartheid observed the Inter- struggle of the people of South Africa, and urge national Day with a special meeting at United all States and organizations to provide greater Nations Headquarters, New York, which was moral, political and material assistance to them. attended by representatives of 97 Member States Describing as "intolerable" the situation in and by members of the Human Rights Com- South Africa, where captured members of the mission. national liberation movement were said to be After statements by the Secretary-General, the classified as common criminals and tried under Prime Minister of Somalia, the Chairman of criminal laws, the Committee suggested that the Special Committee on Apartheid, the Acting serious consideration be given to the protection Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights of those prisoners in order to spare their lives and by the Chairman of the Committee of and to prohibit summary executions, maltreat- Trustees of the United Nations Trust Fund for ment, or reprisals. The Committee also stated South Africa, the meeting observed a minute of that United Nations organs and Member States silence in memory of all the victims of racism should continue, and intensify, efforts to secure the world over.