Question of South West Africa

III. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
227. Question of South West Africa

Whereas, in its resolutions 65 (I) of 14 December 1946 and 141 (II) of 1 November 1947, the General Assembly recommended that the Mandated Territory of South West Africa be placed under the International Trusteeship System and urged the Government of the Union of South Africa to propose a Trusteeship Agreement for the Territory, Whereas the Government of the Union of South Africa, in a letter[1] dated 23 July 1947, informed the United Nations that it had decided not to proceed with the incorporation of South West Africa in the Union but to maintain the status quo and to continue to administer the Territory in the spirit of the existing Mandate, that it had undertaken to submit reports on its administration for the information of the United Nations, and that consideration was being given to granting representation to South West Africa in the Parliament of the Union, Whereas the representative of the Union of South Africa stated on 9 November 1948[2] the intention of his Government to form a closer association between South West Africa and the Union by granting "representation of South West Africa in the Union Parliament", Whereas a report on the administration of South West Africa for the year 1946 was submitted by the Government of the Union of South Africa to the United Nations,[3] Whereas in its resolution of 1 November 1947 the General Assembly authorized the Trusteeship Council to examine the report on the administration of South West Africa for the year 1946 submitted by the Government of the Union of South Africa and to submit its observations thereon to the General Assembly, Whereas on 4 August 1948 the Trusteeship Council, having examined the report on the administration of South West Africa for the year 1946, as well as the supplementary information[4] furnished by the Government of the Union of South Africa in response to a request by the Council embodied in its resolution 28 (II) of 12 December 1947, adopted observations[5] thereon which are contained in the Council's report to the General Assembly, The General Assembly, therefore, Take note of the observations of the Trusteeship Council on South West Africa as contained in the Council's report, and requests the Secretary-General to transmit those observations to the Government of the Union of South Africa; Maintains its recommendations of 14 December 1946 and 1 November 1947 that South West Africa be placed under the Trusteeship System, and notes with regret that those recommendations have not been carried out; Takes note of the statement[6] of the representative of the Union of South Africa that it is the intention of his Government to continue to administer South West Africa in the spirit of the Mandate; Takes note of the assurance[7] given by the representative of the Union of South Africa that the proposed new arrangement for closer association of South West Africa with the Union does not mean incorporation and will not mean absorption of the Territory by the Administering Authority; Recommends, without prejudice to its resolutions of 14 December 1946 and 1 November 1947, that the Union of South Africa, until agreement is reached with the United Nations regarding the future of South West Africa, continue to supply annually information on its administration of the Territory; Requests the Trusteeship Council to continue to examine such information and to submit its observations thereon to the General Assembly. Hundred and sixty-fourth plenary meeting,
26 November 1948.

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[1] See document A/334. [2] See document A/C.4/SR.76, page 8. [3]3 Report by the Government of the Union of South Africa on the administration of South West Africa for the year 1946, printed by the Government printer, Pretoria, 1947. See document T/52, footnote to page 2. [4] See document T/175. [5] See Official Records of the third session of the General Assembly, Supplement No. 4, pages 43 to 45. [6] See document A/C.4/SR.76, pages 7 and 8. [7] Ibid., page 11.