The policies of apartheid of the Government of South Africa

XXIII. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE SPECIAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE
2396. The policies of apartheid of the Government of South Africa

The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions on this question and Security Council resolutions 181 (1963) of 7 August 1963, 182 (1963) of 4 December 1963, 190 (1964) of 9 June 1964 and 191 (1964) of 18 June 1964, Having considered the report of the Special Committee on the Policies of Apartheid of the Government of the Republic of South Africa[1] and the report of the Sub-Committee on Information on Apartheid annexed thereto,[2] Taking into account the decisions and recommendations contained in the Proclamation of Teheran[3] adopted by the International Conference on Human Rights, held it Teheran from 22 April to 13 May 1968, Noting with concern that the Government of South Africa continues to intensify and extend beyond the borders of South Africa its inhuman and aggressive policies of apartheid and that these policies have led to a violent conflict, creating a situation in the whole of southern Africa which constitutes a grave threat to international peace and security, Recognizing that the policies and actions of the Government of South Africa constitute a serious obstacle to the exercise of the right of self-determination by the oppressed people of southern Africa, Convinced that the international campaign against apartheid must be intensified urgently in order to assist in securing the elimination of these inhuman policies, Considering that effective action for a solution of the situation in South Africa is imperative in order to eliminate the grave threat to the peace in southern Africa as a whole, Noting that the Security Council has not considered the problem of apartheid since 1964,

1. Reiterates its condemnation of the policies of apartheid practised by the Government of South Africa as a crime against humanity;

2. Condemns the Government of South Africa for its illegal occupation of Namibia and its military intervention and for its assistance to the racist minority régime in Southern Rhodesia in violation of United Nations resolutions;

3. Reaffirms the urgent necessity of eliminating the policies of apartheid so that the people of South Africa as a whole can exercise their right to self-determination and attain majority rule based on universal suffrage;

4. Draws the attention of the Security Council to the grave situation in South Africa and in southern Africa as a whole and requests the Council to resume urgently the consideration of the question of apartheid with a view to adopting, under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, effective measures to ensure the full implementation of comprehensive mandatory sanctions against South Africa;

5. Condemns the actions of those States, particularly the main trading partners of South Africa, and the activities of those foreign financial and other interests, all of which, through their political, economic and military collaboration with the Government of South Africa and contrary to the relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, are encouraging that Government to persist in its racial policies;

6. Reaffirms its recognition of the legitimacy of the struggle of the people of South Africa for all human rights, and in particular political rights and fundamental freedoms for all the people of South Africa irrespective of race, colour or creed;

7. Calls upon all States and organizations to provide greater moral, political and material assistance to the South African liberation movement in its legitimate struggle;

8. Expresses its grave concern over the ruthless persecution of opponents of apartheid under arbitrary laws and the treatment of freedom fighters who were taken prisoner during the legitimate struggle for liberation, and:

(a) Condemns the Government of South Africa for its cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of political prisoners;

(b) Calls once again for the release of all persons imprisoned or restricted for their opposition to apartheid and appeals to all Governments, organizations and individuals to intensify their efforts in order to induce the Government of South Africa to release all such persons and to stop the persecution and ill-treatment of opponents of apartheid;

(c) Declares that such freedom fighters should be treated as prisoners of war under international law, particularly the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of 12 August 1949;[4]

(d) Requests the Secretary-General to establish and publicize as widely as possible:

(i) A register of Persons who have been executed, imprisoned, placed under house arrest or banning orders or deported for their opposition to apartheid;

(ii) A register of all available information on acts of brutality committed by the Government of South Africa and its officials against opponents of apartheid in prisons;

9. Commends the activities of anti-apartheid movements and other organizations engaged in providing assistance to the victims of apartheid and in promoting their cause, and invites all States, organizations and individuals to make generous contributions in support of their endeavours;

10. Urges the Governments of all States to discourage in their territories, by legislative or other acts, all activities and Organizations which support the policies of apartheid as well as any propaganda in favour of the policies of apartheid and racial discrimination;

11. Requests all States to discourage the flow of immigrants, particularly skilled and technical personnel, to South Africa;

12. Requests all States and organizations to suspend cultural, educational, sporting and other exchanges with the racist régime and with organizations or institutions in South Africa which practise apartheid;

13. Invites all States and organizations to commemorate as widely as possible the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 1969 in order to express their solidarity with the oppressed people of South Africa;

14. Requests the Special Committee on the Policies of Apartheid of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, as a matter of priority, to study and report on the implementation of the United Nations resolutions on the question of apartheid, the effects of the measures taken and the means of securing more effective international action;

15. Requests the Special Committee to intensify its efforts to promote the international campaign against apartheid and, to this end, authorizes it:

(a) To hold sessions away from Headquarters or to send a sub-committee on a mission to consult specialized agencies, regional organizations, States and non-governmental organizations;

(b) To hold consultations with experts and to arrange for special studies on various aspects of apartheid, in consultation with the Secretary-General and within the budgetary provision to be made for this purpose;

16. Requests all States, specialized agencies and other organizations to intensify the dissemination of information on the evils of apartheid in the light of the report of the Special Committee and, in this respect, reiterates its request to those States which have not yet done so to encourage urgently the establishment of national committees as provided in paragraph 9 of General Assembly resolution 2307 (XXII) of 13 December 1967;

17. Requests the Secretary-General, in the light of the proposals of the Special Committee for the widest dissemination of information on apartheid:

(a) To ensure that the Unit on Apartheid, established in pursuance of General Assembly resolution 2144 A (XXI) of 26 October 1966, discharges its increased functions in the light of the proposals out lined in paragraph 146 of the report of the Special Committee;

(b) To take other appropriate steps to assist all States, specialized agencies and other organizations to intensify the dissemination of information;

18. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Special Committee with all the necessary means, including appropriate financial means, for the effective accomplishment of its task;

19. Invites States, specialized agencies, regional organizations and non-governmental organizations to co-operate with the Secretary-General and the Special Committee in the accomplishment of their tasks under the present resolution.

1731st plenary meeting,
2 December 1968.

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[1] Ibid., Twenty-third Session, agenda item 31, document A/7254. [2] Ibid., annex I. [3] See Final Act of the International Conference on Human Rights (United Nations publication, Sales No.: E.68.XIV.2), p.3. [4] United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75 (1950), No. 972.