92 POLITICAL AND SECURITY QUESTIONS other models of peace-keeping operations; and December 1969 by the Special Political Com- (3) transmit to the Special Committee the rec- mittee by 77 votes to 0, with 1 abstention. On ords of the debates on peace-keeping at the 15 December 1969, the General Assembly current session, with the request that the sug- adopted the text recommended by the Special gestions and proposals contained therein be Political Committee, by a vote of 109 to 1, with taken into account. 1 abstention, as resolution 2576(XXIV). (For The draft resolution was approved on 10 text, see: DOCUMENTARY REFERENCES below.) DOCUMENTARY REFERENCES Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations, Having received and examined the report of the meetings 37-42. Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations of 3 November 1969, GENERAL ASSEMBLY——24-TH SESSION 1. Takes note of the progress already achieved by Special Political Committee, meetings 687-689. the Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations Plenary Meetings 1830, 1833, 1838. in carrying out the mandate entrusted to it; 2. Requests the Special Committee on Peace-keep- A/7601. Annual report of Secretary-General on work ing Operations to continue its work and to submit to of the Organization, 16 June 1968-15 June 1969, the General Assembly at its twenty-fifth session a com- Chapter IV. prehensive report on the United Nations military ob- A/7742. Comprehensive review of whole question of servers established or authorized by the Security Coun- peace-keeping operations in all their aspects. Report cil for observation purposes pursuant to Council of Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations. resolutions, as well as a progress report on such work A/SPC/L.178. Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Mex- as the Special Committee may be able to undertake ico, USSR, United Arab Republic, United King- on any other models of peace-keeping operations; dom, United States: draft resolution, approved by 3. Transmits to the Special Committee on Peace- Special Political Committee on 10 December 1969, keeping Operations the records of the debates at the meeting 689, by 77 votes to 0, with 1 abstention. present session on the item entitled "Comprehensive A/7878. Report of Special Political Committee. review of the whole question of peace-keeping opera- RESOLUTION 2576(xxiv), as proposed by Special Po- tions in all their aspects", with the request that the litical Committee, A/7878, adopted by Assembly suggestions and proposals contained therein be taken on 15 December 1969, meeting 1833, by 109 votes into account. to 1, with 1 abstention. A/7632. Letter of 8 December 1969 from Sweden. The General Assembly, A/7630. Resolutions adopted by General Assembly Recalling its resolutions 2006 (XIX) of 18 February during its 24th session, 16 September-17 December 1965, 2053 A (XX) of 15 December 1965, 2249(S-V) 1969. Other decisions, pp. 26-27. of 23 May 1967, 2308(XXII) of 13 December 1967 and 2451 (XXIII) of 19 December 1968, CHAPTER VII QUESTIONS RELATING TO AFRICA MATTERS CONCERNING SOUTH AFRICA'S APARTHEID POLICIES The apartheid policies of the Government of In its report to the General Assembly, the South Africa continued to be examined in 1969 Special Committee on Apartheid emphasized by the General Assembly and its 11-member Its view that there was an extremely grave threat Special Committee on the Policies of Apartheid to the peace posed by the further deterioration of the Government of the Republic of South of the situation in the whole of southern Africa. Africa. The Economic and Social Council and Contributing to this deterioration were South the Commission on Human Rights also consid- Africa's continued defiance of the decisions of ered aspects of those policies and the situations the United Nations, its intensification of apart- resulting therefrom. heid policies, its massive build-up of military QUESTIONS RELATING TO AFRICA 93 and police forces, intervention against the forces ple of South Africa in their legitimate struggle of liberation movements in Southern Rhodesia for their inalienable right of self-determination. and aid to Portugal in the latter's colonial wars. In support of that struggle, the Assembly asked The Special Committee felt that urgent ac- all States to apply various economic and finan- tion by the international community was impera- cial sanctions and to implement the embargo tive to avert a major conflict in the area. It called for by the Security Council on the sup- urged that the three main lines of action be plying of arms and other military equipment to continued, namely: measures, including the South Africa. arms embargo and universally applied economic Further, the Assembly recommended that the sanctions, to oblige South Africa to renounce its Security Council resume consideration of the apartheid policies and seek a peaceful solution apartheid question with a view to adopting ef- under the United Nations Charter; moral, politi- fective measures, including those under Chapter cal and material assistance to the oppressed VII of the United Nations Charter,1 to elimi- people of South Africa; and dissemination of nate the threat to international peace and se- information world-wide to secure full under- curity posed by apartheid in the area. standing and support of efforts to eliminate In other actions that related to the question apartheid and avert the threat to peace. of apartheid, the General Assembly requested all At the twenty-fourth session of the General States, as well as the specialized agencies and Assembly, which opened on 16 September 1969, international institutions, to withhold assistance the decisions and recommendations of the Spe- of any kind from the Government of South cial Committee on Apartheid and of other bodies Africa until it had renounced its policy of racial were discussed and a number of resolutions on discrimination. The Assembly also welcomed aspects of apartheid policies were adopted. the Manifesto on Southern Africa. This Mani- On 21 November 1969, the Assembly adopted festo, among other things, declared the opposi- two resolutions after discussion of the Special tion of African States to policies of apartheid. Committee's report. By the first resolution, the Four additional resolutions dealt with the General Assembly condemned the South African question of racial discrimination and particu- Government for its refusal to comply with past larly the policies of the South African Govern- United Nations resolutions and for its repressive ment. One of these set forth the Assembly's acts against the liberation movement of the designation of 1971 as the International Year South African people. The Assembly urged the for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Dis- unconditional release of all political prisoners crimination. Another dealt with measures to be and persons restricted for opposition to apart- taken against nazism and racial intolerance, and heid and reiterated that freedom fighters taken two resolutions dealt specifically with measures prisoner in the course of their legitimate strug- to combat racial discrimination, apartheid and gle for liberation should be extended humane segregation in southern Africa. treatment in accordance with the humanitarian The Assembly also considered a report on the principles of the Geneva Convention relative to United Nations Educational and Training Pro- the Treatment of Prisoners of War of 12 August gramme for Southern Africa and called for 1949. generous contributions to the Programme. By the second resolution, the Assembly re- These and other decisions of United Nations iterated its condemnation of apartheid as a organs are described in the sections below. crime against humanity and urged all States and organizations to provide increased assistance 1 For text of Chapter VII of the Charter, see APPEN- to the national movement of the oppressed peo- DIX II. Political and Related Developments REPORT OF SPECIAL of the Republic of South Africa submitted its COMMITTEE ON APARTHEID report to the General Assembly and to the The General Assembly's Special Committee Security Council on 13 October 1969. The re- on the Policies of Apartheid of the Government port reviewed the Committee's work during 94 POLITICAL AND SECURITY QUESTIONS 1969 and described new developments in South of its apartheid policy, massive build-up of its Africa since the previous report, submitted on military and police forces, intervention against 4 October 1968. the forces of liberation movements in Southern On 17 and 18 March 1969, the Special Com- Rhodesia and assistance to Portugal in its colo- mittee held a special session at United Nations nial wars. Urgent action by the international Headquarters, New York, to consider the ques- community was imperative to avert a major tion of economic sanctions and related measures conflict in the area. to secure the elimination of apartheid. Partici- The Special Committee remained convinced pants included representatives of church, stu- that three main lines of activity were the most dent, trade union and other non-governmental appropriate and effective for solving the prob- organizations in the United States concerned lem of apartheid. These were: (a) measures, with the situation in South Africa, representa- including an arms embargo and universally ap- tives of other United Nations bodies dealing plied economic sanctions under Chapter VII of with problems in southern Africa, officials of the United Nations Charter,2 to oblige the South specialized agencies and the Organization of African