Status of the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 41/103 of 4 December 1986, 42/56 of 30 November 1987, 43/97 of 8 December 1988, 44/69 of 8 December 1989 and 45/90 of 14 December 1990,

Mindful that the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid constitutes an important international treaty in the field of human rights and serves to implement the ideals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Reaffirming its conviction that apartheid is a crime against humanity and constitutes a total negation of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and a gross violation of human rights, seriously threatening international peace and security,

Condemning the abhorrent policy and system of apartheid and the repression it engenders, which continue to aggravate the situation in South Africa,

Emphasizing that the root cause of the conflict in southern Africa is apartheid and the racist regime's policy of destabilization against the front- line and other neighbouring States,

Deeply concerned at the continued collaboration of certain States and transnational corporations with the racist regime of South Africa, particularly in the political, economic, military and other fields, as an encouragement of its odious policy of apartheid,

Convinced that universal ratification of or accession to the Convention and the immediate implementation of its provisions will contribute to the eradication of the crime of apartheid,

1.         Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the status of the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid;

2.         Commends those States parties to the Convention that have submitted their reports under article VII thereof;

3.         Calls upon all States whose transnational corporations continue to do business with South Africa to take appropriate steps to terminate their dealings with South Africa;

4.         Requests the Commission on Human Rights to intensify, in cooperation with the Special Committee against Apartheid, its efforts to compile and update periodically the list of individuals, organizations, institutions and representatives of States deemed responsible for crimes enumerated in article II of the Convention, as well as those against whom or which legal proceedings have been undertaken;

5.         Requests the Secretary-General to circulate that list among all States parties to the Convention and all Member States and to bring such facts to the attention of the public by all means of mass communication;

6.         Also requests the Secretary-General to invite the States parties to the Convention, the specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations to provide the Commission on Human Rights with relevant information concerning the forms of the crime of apartheid, as described in article II of the Convention, committed by transnational corporations operating in South Africa;

7.         Appeals to all States, United Nations organs, the specialized agencies and international and national non-governmental organizations to step up their activities to enhance public awareness by denouncing the crimes committed by the racist regime with a view to promoting further ratification of or accession to the Convention;

8.         Underlines the importance of the universal ratification of the Convention, which would be an effective contribution to the fulfilment of the ideals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights instruments;

9.         Appeals once again to those States that have not yet done so to ratify or to accede to the Convention without further delay;

10.       Requests the Secretary-General to intensify his efforts, through appropriate channels, to disseminate information on the Convention and its implementation with a view to promoting further ratification of or accession to the Convention;

11.       Also requests the Secretary-General to include in his next annual report under General Assembly resolution 3380 (XXX) of 10 November 1975 a special section concerning the implementation of the Convention.