Questions of South West Africa

XV. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
1596. Questions of South West Africa

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] which declares that immediate steps shall be taken to transfer all powers to such peoples, without any conditions or reservations, in accordance with their freely expressed will and desire, without any distinction as to race, creed or colour, in order to enable them to enjoy complete independence and freedom, Recalling its resolution 1568 (XV) of 18 December 1960 inviting the Committee on South West Africa to go to South West Africa immediately, inter alia, to investigate the situation prevailing in the Territory, Noting with deep egret, from the preliminary report of the Committee on South West Africa[2] called for under the said resolution, that the Government of the Union of South Africa refuses to co-operate with the United Nations by facilitating the mission of the Committee on South West Africa, Convinced that it is both the right and the duty of the United Nations to discharge fully and effectively its obligations with respect to the proper implementation, under its supervision, of the Mandate for South West Africa conferred upon His Britannic Majesty, to be exercised on his behalf by the Government of the Union of South Africa, Noting with grave concern the continuing deterioration in the situation in South West Africa resulting from the continued application, in violation of the letter and spirit of the Mandate, of tyrannical policies and practices, such as apartheid, of the administration of the Union of South Africa in South West Africa, Reiterating its concern that this situation constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security,

1. Recognizes and supports the passionate yearning of the people of South West Africa for freedom and the exercise of national independence and sovereignty;

2. Rejects the position taken by the Government of the Union of South Africa in refusing to co-operate with the United Nations in the implementation of General Assembly resolution 1568 (XV) as well as other resolutions concerning South West Africa;

3. Deplores the attempts at the assimilation of the Mandated Territory of South West Africa, culminating in the so-called referendum held on 5 October 1960, as totally unacceptable, having no moral or legal basis and being repugnant to the letter and spirit of the Mandate;

4. Considers that the full and effective discharge of the tasks assigned to the Committee on South West Africa in paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 1568 (XV) is essential to the protection of the lives and property of the inhabitants of South West Africa, to the amelioration of the prevailing conditions in South West Africa, the continuance of which is likely to endanger international peace and security, and to the exercise of the right of self-determination by the people of South West Africa in complete freedom and of their right of accession to national sovereignty and independence with the least delay;

5. Requests the Committee on South West Africa, therefore, immediately to proceed to discharge the special and urgent tasks entrusted to it in resolution 1568 (XV) as fully and expeditiously as possible with the co-operation of the Government of the Union of South Africa if such co-operation is available, and without it if necessary;

6. Requests the States Members of the United Nations to extend to the Committee on South West Africa such assistance as it may require in the discharge of these tasks;

7. Decides to call the attention of the Security Council to the situation in respect of South West Africa which, if allowed to continue, will in General Assembly's view endanger international peace and security, and to the present resolution, the full implementation of which is necessary to bring that situation to a speedy end;

8. Takes notes with grave concern of reports of the terrorization of, and armed action against, the indigenous inhabitants, and calls upon the Government of the Union of South Africa to desist from such acts,

9. Requests the Committee on South West Africa to submit to the General Assembly at its sixteenth session a report on the implementation of resolution 1568 (XV) as well as the present resolution.

979th plenary meeting,
7 April 1961.

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[1] See resolution 1514 (XV). [2] Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifteenth Session, Annexes, agenda item 43, document A/4705.