Activities of foreign economic and other interests which are impeding the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in Southern Rhodesia and Namibia and in all other Territories under colonial domination and efforts to eliminate colonialism, apartheid and racial discrimination in southern Africa

XXX. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE
3398. Activities of foreign economic and other interests which are impeding the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in Southern Rhodesia and Namibia and in all other Territories under colonial domination and efforts to eliminate colonialism,

The General Assembly, Having considered the item entitled "Activities of foreign economic and other interests which are impeding the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in Southern Rhodesia and Namibia and in all other Territories under colonial domination and efforts to eliminate colonialism, apartheid and racial discrimination in southern Africa", 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 this question,[1] Taking into consideration the parts of the report of the United Nations Council for Namibia relating to this question,[2] 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, as well as all other resolutions of the United Nations relating to the item, Reaffirming the solemn obligation of the administering Powers under the Charter of the United Nations to promote the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the inhabitants of the Territories under their administration and to protect the human and natural resources of those Territories against abuses, Reaffirming that any economic or other activity which impedes the implementation of the Declaration and obstructs efforts aimed at the elimination of colonialism, apartheid and racial discrimination in southern Africa and other colonial Territories violates the political, economic and social rights and interests of the peoples of the Territories and is therefore incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter, Condemning the intensified activities of those foreign economic, financial and other interests which continue to exploit the natural and human resources of the colonial Territories and to accumulate and repatriate huge profits to the detriment of the interests of the inhabitants, particularly in southern Africa, thereby impeding the realization by the peoples of the Territories of their legitimate aspirations for self-determination and independence, Strongly condemning the support which South Africa and the illegal racist minority régime in Southern Rhodesia continue to receive from those foreign economic, financial and other interests which are collaborating with them in their exploitation of the natural and human resources of, and in the further entrenchment of their illegal and racialist domination over, the international Territory of Namibia and the Non-Self-Governing Territory of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), respectively, Conscious of the continued need to mobilize public opinion against the involvement of foreign economic, financial and other interests in the exploitation of the natural and human resources of colonial Territories, particularly in Africa,

1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the peoples of dependent Territories to self-determination and independence and to the enjoyment of the natural resources of their Territories, as well as their right to dispose of those resources in their best interests;

2. Reiterates that any administering Power which deprives the colonial peoples of the exercise of their legitimate rights over their natural resources or subordinates the rights and interests of those peoples to foreign economic and financial interests violates the solemn obligations it has assumed under the Charter of the United Nations;

3. Reaffirms that, by their depletive exploitation of natural resources, the continued accumulation and repatriation of huge profits and the use of those profits for the enrichment of foreign settlers and the entrenchment of colonial domination over the Territories, the activities of foreign economic, financial and other interests operating at present in the colonial Territories of southern Africa constitute a major obstacle to political independence and to the enjoyment of the natural resources of those Territories by the indigenous inhabitants;

4. Condemns the policies of the colonial Powers and other States which continue to support or collaborate with those foreign economic and other interests engaged in exploiting the natural and human resources of the Territories, thus violating the political, economic and social rights and interests of the indigenous peoples and obstructing the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in respect of those Territories;

5. Calls upon the colonial Powers, as well as those Governments which have not yet done so, to take legislative, administrative or other measures in respect of their nationals and the bodies corporate under their jurisdiction who own and operate enterprises in colonial Territories, particularly in Africa, which are detrimental to the interests of the inhabitants of those Territories, in order to put an end to such enterprises and to prevent new investments that run counter to the interests of the inhabitants;

6. Requests all States to take effective measures to end the supply of funds and other forms of assistance including military supplies and equipment, to those régimes which use such assistance to repress the peoples of the colonial Territories and their national liberation movements;

7. Calls upon all States to discontinue all economic, financial or trade relations with South Africa concerning Namibia and to refrain from entering into economic financial or other relations with South Africa, acting, on behalf of or concerning Namibia, which may lend support to its continued illegal occupation of that Territory;

8. Calls upon the administering Powers to abolish every discriminatory and unjust wage system which prevails in the Territories under their administration and to apply in each Territory a uniform system, of wages to all the inhabitants without any discrimination;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to give the widest possible publicity to the adverse effects of the activities of foreign economic and other interests in all colonial Territories, as well as to the decisions 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 and of the General Assembly on this question, and requests all Governments to assist the Secretary-General in that regard;

10. Requests the Special Committee to continue to examine this question and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its thirty-first session.

2414th plenary meeting
21 November 1975


[1] Ibid., Thirtieth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/10023/Rev.1, chap. V. [2] Ibid., Supplement No. 24 (A/10024).
Disclaimer:

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.