Questions of Southern Rhodesia

XXV. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS ON THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
2652. Questions of Southern Rhodesia

The General Assembly, Having considered the question of Southern Rhodesia, Having examined the chapter of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples relating to the question of Southern Rhodesia,[1] Bearing in mind the views expressed by representatives of national liberation movements,[2] Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, Recalling further all previous resolutions concerning the question of Southern Rhodesia adopted by the General Assembly and the Special Committee, Recalling also the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, particularly its resolutions 232 (1966) of 16 December 1966, 253 (1968) of 29 May 1968 and 277 (1970) of 18 March 1970, Bearing in mind the relevant provisions of its resolution 2621 (XXV) of 12 October 1970 containing the programme of action for the full implementation of the Declaration, Gravely concerned at the deteriorating situation in Southern Rhodesia, which the Security Council in its resolution 277 (1970) reaffirmed as constituting a threat to international peace and security, resulting from the introduction by the illegal racist minority régime of new measures, including the purported assumption of republican status, for the purpose of entrenching itself as well as repressing the African people in violation of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), and at the continued presence of South African forces in the Territory, which poses a threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring African States, Noting with deep regret that the sanctions adopted by the Security Council have so far failed to put an end to the illegal racist minority régime in Southern Rhodesia, owing primarily to the continued assistance that régime receives from some States, in particular South Africa and Portugal, in violation of Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations and of the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, Reaffirming its conviction that the sanctions win not put an end to the illegal racist minority régime in Southern Rhodesia unless they are comprehensive, mandatory, effectively supervised, enforced and complied with, particularly by South Africa and Portugal, Bearing in mind that the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the administering Power, has the primary responsibility for putting an end to the illegal racist minority régime in Southern Rhodesia and for transferring effective power to the people of Zimbabwe on the basis of majority rule,

1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of Zimbabwe to freedom and independence in conformity with the provisions of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and the legitimacy of their struggle to attain that right by all the means at their disposal;

2. Declares illegal all measures taken by the racist minority régime, including the purported assumption of republican status, to deprive the people of Zimbabwe of their legitimate rights and to entrench its policies of apartheid in Southern Rhodesia;

3. Affirms that any attempt to negotiate the future of Zimbabwe with the illegal racist minority régime would be contrary to the provisions of resolution 1514 (XV);

4. Condemns the failure and refusal of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to take effective measures to bring down the illegal racist minority régime in Southern Rhodesia and to transfer power to the people of Zimbabwe on the basis of majority rule, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, and calls upon that Government to take such measures without further delay in fulfilment of its responsibility as the administering Power;

5. Condemns the intervention of South African armed forces in Southern Rhodesia in violation of Security Council resolution 277 (1970);

6. Condemns the policies of the Governments of South Africa and Portugal and other Governments that continue to maintain political, economic, military and other relations with the illegal racist minority régime in Southern Rhodesia in contravention of the relevant United Nations resolutions, thus violating their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations, and calls upon those Governments to discontinue all such relations;

7. Deplores the failure of the Government of the United Kingdom to report to the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, as requested in paragraph 16 of General Assembly resolution 2508 (XXIV) of 21 November 1969, on action taken in the implementation of that resolution, and calls upon the Government of the United Kingdom to submit the said report to the Special Committee during its next session;

8. Calls upon the United Kingdom, as the administering Power, to ensure the immediate expulsion of all South African forces from Southern Rhodesia;

9. Calls upon all States to ensure, under the terms of Security Council resolution 277 (1970), the immediate interruption of any existing means of transportation to and from Southern Rhodesia;

10. Calls upon all States, specialized agencies and other international organizations concerned, in cooperation with the Organization of African Unity, to extend all moral and material assistance to the national liberation movements of Zimbabwe;

11. Calls upon the Government of the United Kingdom, in view of the armed conflict in the Territory and the inhuman treatment of prisoners, to ensure the application to that situation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War[3]3and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War,[4]4both dated 12 August 1949;

12. Draws the attention of the Security Council to the gravity of the situation arising from the intensification of suppressive activities against the people of Zimbabwe and from the armed attacks perpetrated against neighbouring States in violation of international peace and security;

13. Further draws the attention of the Security Council to the urgent necessity of applying the following measures envisaged under Chapter VII of the Charter:

(a) Widening the scope of the sanctions against the illegal racist minority régime to include all the measures laid down in Article 41 of the Charter;

(b) Imposing sanctions against South Africa and Portugal, whose Governments have blatantly refused to carry out the mandatory decisions of the Security Council;

14. Requests the Special Committee to keep the situation in the Territory under review.

1916th plenary meeting,
3 December 1970.

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[1] Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/8023/Rev.1), chapter V. [2] See the report of the Ad Hoc Group established by the Special Committee at its 740th meeting, on 21 April 1970 (Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 23B (A/8023/Rev.1/Add.2), annex II). [3] United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75 (1950), No. 972. [4] United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75 (1950), No. 973.