Question of Southern Rhodesia

XXVI. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
2796. Question of Southern Rhodesia

The General Assembly, Having considered the question of Southern Rhodesia, Having examined the relevant chapters 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,[1] Bearing in mind the views expressed by representatives of national liberation movements,[2] Having heard the statement of the petitioner,[3] Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and its resolution 2621 (XXV) of 12 October 1970, containing the programme of action for the full implementation of the Declaration, 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, 277 (1970) of 18 March 1970 and 288 (1970) of 17 November 1970, Gravely concerned at the further deterioration of the situation in Southern Rhodesia, which the Security Council has reaffirmed as constituting a threat to international peace and security, resulting from the failure and refusal of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to put an end to the illegal racist minority régime in that Territory and from the racialist and repressive policies pursued by that régime in violation of the relevant resolutions and decisions of the United Nations, Deeply concerned at the continued presence of South African forces in the Territory, which constitutes a threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring African States, Deploring that certain States, in particular South Africa and Portugal, continue to collaborate with the illegal racist minority régime in violation of the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, contrary to their specific obligation under Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations, thereby seriously obstructing the efforts of the international community to put an end to that régime, Bearing in mind that the Government of the United Kingdom, as the administering Power, has the primary responsibility for putting an end to the rebellion of British settlers who organized the illegal racist régime and for transferring effective power to the people of Zimbabwe on the basis of the principle of majority rule, Deploring the intransigent attitude of the Government of the United Kingdom, as the administering Power, which, in contravention of the provisions of the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Special Committee, persists in its refusal to cooperate with the Special Committee in the discharge of the mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly, Noting with deep regret the decision of the International Olympic Committee to permit the participation in the XXth Olympic Games of the so-called National Olympic Committee of Rhodesia,

1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the people of Zimbabwe to self-determination, freedom and independence and the legitimacy of their struggle to secure by all the means at their disposal the enjoyment of that right as set forth in the Charter of the United Nations and in conformity with the objectives of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV);

2. Strongly deplores the continued 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 without any delay to the people of Zimbabwe on the basis of the principle 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;

3. Condemns the continued intervention and presence of South African armed forces in Southern Rhodesia in violation of Security Council resolutions 277 (1970) and 288 (1970), and calls upon the administering Power to ensure the immediate expulsion of all such forces;

4. Condemns the policies of those Governments, particularly the Governments of South Africa and Portugal, which continue to maintain political, economic, military and other relations with the illegal racist minority régime, in contravention of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and contrary to their obligations under the Charter, and calls upon those Governments to cease forthwith all such relations;

5. Reaffirms its conviction that the sanctions will not put an end to the illegal racist minority régime unless they are comprehensive, mandatory, effectively supervised, enforced and complied with by all States, particularly by South Africa and Portugal;

6. Strongly urges all States to take more stringent measures in order to prevent any circumvention by all individuals and bodies corporate of their nationality, or under their jurisdiction, of the sanctions prescribed by the Security Council, and to refrain from any action which might confer a semblance of legitimacy on the illegal racist minority regime;

7. Strongly deplores the imprisonment and detention of freedom fighters of Zimbabwe by the illegal racist minority régime and calls upon the administering Power to effect the immediate and unconditional release of those persons;

8. Calls upon all States to take all appropriate steps to ensure the exclusion of the so-called National Olympic Committee of Rhodesia from participating in the XXth Olympic Games and requests the Secretary-General to draw the attention of the President of the International Olympic Committee to the relevant provisions of Security Council resolution 253 (1968) for appropriate action;

9. Calls upon all States, the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system, in consultation with the Organization of African Unity, to extend all moral and material assistance to the people of Zimbabwe;

10. 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[4] and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War,[5] both dated 12 August 1949;

11. Calls upon the Government of the United Kingdom to report on the implementation of the present resolution 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 and to the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh session;

12. Draws the attention of the Security Council, in view of the gravity of the situation arising from the further intensification of repressive activities against the people of Zimbabwe, to the urgent necessity of taking further steps to ensure the full and strict compliance by all States with the decisions of the Council, in accordance with Article 25 of the Charter, and to the need to widen the scope of the sanctions against the illegal racist minority régime and to impose sanctions against South Africa and Portugal, whose Governments persist in their refusal to carry out the mandatory decisions of the Council;

13. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh session on the implementation of the present resolution;

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

2012th plenary meeting,
10 December 1971.

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[1] Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/8423/Rev.1), chaps. V and VI. [2] Ibid., chap. V, annex. [3] Ibid., Twenty-sixth Session, Fourth Committee, 1939th meeting. [4] United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75 (1950), No. 972. [5] United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75 (1950), No. 973.