Question of the future of Ruanda-Urundi

XV. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
1605 Question of the future of Ruanda-Urundi

The General Assembly, Bearing in mind the provisions of the General Assembly's Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples,[1] Recalling its resolutions 1579 (XV) and 1580 (XV) of 20 December 1960 concerning the future of the Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi, Having received the interim report of the United Nations Commission for Ruanda-Urundi[2] appointed under resolution 1579 (XV), Regretting the failure of the Administering Authority to implement fully and effectively the terms of resolution 1579 (XV), the resistance to such implementation by the local representatives of the Administering Authority in Ruanda-Urundi and their failure to co-operate fully and effectively with the United Nations Commission for Ruanda-Urundi, Regretting the de facto recognition by the Administering Authority of governmental bodies in Ruanda which were established by irregular and unlawful means and which cannot be regarded as fully representative of all segments of the population in the absence of free and faire elections on the basis of direct universal adult suffrage, as envisaged in resolution 1579 (XV), Regretting also the setting up of governmental bodies in Urundi on the basis of communal elections, contrary to the assurances given by the Administering authority that communal elections were purely administrative and had no political character, Noting the several statements of the representatives of the Administering Authority conveying assurances that it will co-operate fully with the United Nations in Ruanda-Urundi, Having heard the views of the petitioners from Ruanda-Urundi,

1. Expresses its appreciation to the members of the United Nations Commission for Ruanda-Urundi for their conscientious discharge of the duties entrusted to them under General Assembly resolutions 1579 (XV) and 1580 (XV);

2. Calls upon the Government of Belgium as the Administering Authority to ensure that the provisions of resolution 1579 (XV) are fully implemented by its representatives in Ruanda-Urundi before the legislative elections;

3. Recognizes that the Government of Belgium is alone responsible for the administration of the Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi and accountable to the United Nations, and that its responsibilities as Administering Authority cannot in any way be abdicated to local political bodies and leaders until after appropriate democratic institutions have been set up and the Trusteeship Agreement has been terminated, all with the approval of the United Nations;

4. Considers it necessary that, pending the establishment of popular governments on the basis of the legislative elections to be held in 1961, broad-based caretaker governments be constituted immediately in both parts of the Trust Territory to attend to current affairs of administration and to act in strict conformity with the obligations of the Administering Authority for the implementation of the resolutions of the General Assembly;

5. Declares that it is clearly the obligation and the responsibility of the Administering Authority to create the necessary conditions and atmosphere for the proper conduct of the national elections and not to permit any local authorities to impede the implementation of the resolutions of the General Assembly;

6. Decides that the referendum on the question of the Mwami, contemplated in resolution 1580 (XV), and the legislative elections in Ruanda-Urundi should be held in the month of August 1961 on the basis of direct universal adult suffrage, under the supervision of the United Nations, and that these be organized by the Administering Authority in full consultation with the United Nations Commission for Ruanda-Urundi, the actual dates to be fixed, after mutual consultation, in the light of the prevailing circumstances;

7. Decides further that the questions to be put at the referendum on the question of the Mwami in Ruanda should be the following:

"1. Do you wish to retain the institution of the Mwami in Ruanda?

"2. If so, do you wish Kigeli V to continue as the Mwami in Ruanda?";

8. Requests the United Nations Commission for Ruanda-Urundi, composed of three members elected by the General Assembly on 20 December 1960, hereafter to be designated United Nations Commissions, to return to Ruanda-Urundi at the earliest possible time to assist and advise the Administering Authority in the full and proper implementation of resolution 1579 (XV) and the present resolution, and to perform the other tasks entrusted to it;

9. Notes the information given by the representative of the Administering Authority concerning measures of amnesty already implemented, and recommends that:

(a) Full and unconditional amnesty, as envisaged in resolution 1579 (XV), be immediately granted by the Administering Authority;

(b) The few remaining cases which, in the Administering Authority's view, are guilty of "very grave crimes" be examined by a Special Commission composed of the representatives of three Member States to be elected by the General Assembly, with a view to securing their release from prison or return from abroad in the full implementation of the Assembly's recommendation concerning amnesty not later than two months before the national elections;

10. Notes the observations contained in paragraphs 199-203 of the interim report of the United Nations Commissions for Ruanda-Urundi and calls upon the Administering Authority to observe strictly its international obligations under the Trusteeship Agreement;

11. Requests the Administering Authority to ensure that the material conditions essential to the successful discharge by the United Nations Commissioners of their responsibilities, such as housing, office space, travel facilities, information and the free use of official broadcasting facilities are provided, and that the local authorities co-operate fully with them;

12. Requests the United Nations Commissions for Ruanda-Urundi to submit a report on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly at its sixteenth session;

13. Decides to maintain this item on the agenda of the present session, without closing the debate thereon, and authorizes the United Nations Commission for Ruanda-Urundi, in the event that the performance of its duties is hindered through deliberate obstruction or lack of the requisite co-operation from any quarter, to return to United Nations Headquarters and request the President of the General Assembly to reconvene the Assembly immediately to consider further measures essential to the discharge of the United Nations obligations with respect to the Trust Territory of Ruanda-Urundi;

14. Calls upon the Administering Authority to rescind legislative Order No. 221/296 of 25 October 1960, so as to ensure that there is no unwarranted interference with the exercise of public freedom and that no persons may be removed or detained without recourse to due process of law;

15. Reiterates its conviction that the best future for Ruanda-Urundi lies in the accession of that Territory to independence as a single, united and composite State;

16. Considers that the full implementation of all the provisions of the present resolution will enable the General Assembly at its sixteenth session to consider the termination of the Trusteeship Agreement at the earliest possible date.

994th plenary meeting,
21 April 1961. At its 994th plenary meeting on 21 April 1961, the General Assembly appointed the members of the Special Commission established under the terms of paragraph 9 (b) of the above resolution. The Special Commission is composed as follows: BRAZIL, CANADA and TUNISIA.

---

[1] See resolution 1514 (XV). [2] Ibid, agenda item 45, addendum, documents A/4706 and Add.1