'A unique UN experience.' (United Nations Transition Assistance Group)

UNTAG, the Secretary-General told the press on 16 February, "is a unique United Nations experience" -a peace-keeping operation with both a military and a civilian significance. Speaking just after the Security Council formally authorized the new UN operation, Mr. Perez de Cuellar also predicted that UNTAG could serve as a precedent for other future UN undertakings, perhaps in Western Sahara.

Namibia's lengthy independence process started long before 1 April 1989-more than a decade earlier, when the Security Council on 29 September 1978 adopted the UN independence plan in its resolution 435.

Over the years, the Organization continued its efforts to implement the plan. A major obstacle was the linkage of the Territory's independence to withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola. Finally, on 22 December 1988, after eight months of intense United States-brokered negotiations, two historic agreements were signed at UN Headquarters, opening the way to achievement of peace in southwestern Africa. Angola and Cuba signed a bilateral document on withdrawal of Cuban troops. Those two nations and South Africa approved a tripartite text setting out the important elements of the independence process.

These documents had been formulated on the basis of the "14 essential principles" approved at Governor's Island, New York City, in July 1988, the Geneva Protocol of 5 August 1988 and the Protocol of Brazzaville of 13 December.

The Security Council on 22 December 1988 adopted resolution 626, establishing the UN Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM). On 16 January 1989, in resolution 628, the Council welcomed the agreements. The same day, it approved resolution 629, setting 1 April 1989 as the beginning of the Namibia independence process, and for a formal cease-fire and cost-saving measures for UNTAG. On 16 February 1989, in resolution 632, the Security Council decided to implement the independence plan and approved the recommendations of Mr. Perez de Cuellar, including a scaling down of the UNTAG operation.