Petition and related communication from the Reverend T. H. Hamtumbangela concerning South West Africa

UN General Assembly, Petition and related communication from the Reverend T. H. Hamtumbangela concerning South West Africa, A/RES/937, UN General Assembly, 3 December 1955, https://www.refworld.org/legal/resolution/unga/1955/en/10308 [accessed 21 January 2025]
LinkedIn

X. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
937. Petition and related communication from the Reverend T. H. Hamtumbangela concerning South West Africa

The General Assembly, Having accepted the advisory opinion[1]1of 11 July 1950 of the International Court of justice on the question of South West Africa, including the opinion that petitions concerning the Territory of South West Africa are to be transmitted by the Government of the Union of South Africa "to the General Assembly of the United Nations, which is legally qualified to deal with them", Having authorized the Committee on South West Africa, by General Assembly resolution 749 A (VIII) of 28 November 1953, to examine petitions in accordance with the Mandates procedure of the League of Nations, Having received a report from the Committee on South West Africa dealing with a petition, dated 5 October 1954, and a related communication, dated 19 February 1955, from the Reverend T. H. Hamtumbangela,[2] Noting that the petitioner requests that the question of the future status of the Territory of South West Africa be submitted to the International Court of justice for decision, Noting further that the petitioner raises questions concerning the racially discriminatory measures applied against the non-European population of the Territory,

1. Decides to inform the petitioner that, according to the advisory opinion of 11 July 1950 of the International Court of justice:

(a) "South West Africa is a territory under the international Mandate assumed by the Union of South Africa on December 17th, 1920";

(b) ".. the Union of South Africa continues to have the international obligations stated in Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations and in the Mandate for South West Africa";

(c) ". . competence to determine and modify the international status of the Territory [of South West Africa] rests with the Union of South Africa acting with the consent of the United Nations";

and that the General Assembly, by its resolution 449 A (V) of 13 December 1950, accepted the advisory opinion of the International Court of justice on the question of South West Africa;

Noting the observations of the Committee on South West Africa with respect to discriminatory measures applied in the Territory against the non-European population,

2. Decides to transmit to the petitioner the report and observations[3] made by the Committee on South West Africa at its second session regarding conditions in the Territory of South West Africa.

550th plenary meeting,
3 December 1955.
[1] International status of South-West Africa, Advisory Opinion: I.C.J. Reports 1950, p. 128. [2] Official Records of the General Assembly, Tenth Session, Supplement No. 12 (A/2913), chap. VIII and annex VIII. [3] Ibid., annex II
Disclaimer:

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.