Status of the Territory of South West Africa

UN General Assembly, Status of the Territory of South West Africa, A/RES/852, UN General Assembly, 23 November 1954, https://www.refworld.org/legal/resolution/unga/1954/en/7488 [accessed 10 February 2025]
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IX. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
852. Status of the Territory of South West Africa

The General Assembly, Having recommended, by its resolutions 65 (I) of 14 December 1946, 141 (II) of 1 November 1947, 227 (III) of 26 November 1948, 337 (IV) of 6 December 1949, 449 B (V) of 13 December 1950, 570 B (VI) of 19 January 1952 and 749 B (VIII) of 28 November 1953, that the Mandated Territory of South West Africa be placed under the International Trusteeship System, and having repeatedly invited the Government of the Union of South Africa to propose, for the consideration of the General Assembly, a Trusteeship Agreement for South West Africa, Having accepted, by its resolution 449 A (V) of 13 December 1950, the advisory opinion of 11 July 1950 of the International Court of justice concerning South West Africa, inter alia, to the effect that:

(a) While "the provisions of Chapter XII of the Charter do not impose on the Union of South West Africa a legal obligation to place the Territory under the Trusteeship System", they "are applicable to the Territory of South West Africa in the sense that they provide a means by which the Territory may be brought under the Trusteeship System",

(b) "...the Union of South Africa acting alone has not the competence to modify the international status of the Territory of South West Africa", and "...the competence to determine and modify the international status of the Territory rests with the Union of South Africa acting with the consent of the United Nations",

Considering that, in accordance with Chapter XII of the Charter, all Mandated Territories which have not achieved independence have been brought under the Trusteeship System with the sole exception of the Territory of South West Africa,

1. Reiterates its resolutions 65 (I) of 14 December 1946, 141 (II) of I November 1947, 227 (III) of West Africa be placed under the International Trusteeship System;

2. Reasserts that the normal way of modifying the international status of the Territory would be to place it under the Trusteeship System by means of a Trusteeship Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Chapter XII of the Charter.

501st plenary meeting,
23 November 1954.
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