Assembly asked to condemn 'wanton killing' in South Africa, other aspects of racism throughout the world.

Assembly asked to condemn "wanton killing' in South Africa, other aspects of racism throughout the world

Asking the General Assembly to strongly condemn South Africa's "wanton killing' of peaceful demonstrators and workers on strike, as well as its arbitrary arrests of leaders and activists of mass organizations, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded in October debate on items relating to apartheid, racism and racial discrimination, and self-determination.

The draft resolution, one of six texts approved by the Committee, also asked the Assembly to call for the "immediate lifting' of the state of emergency in South Africa, to reaffirm its rejection of the so-called "new constitution' as null and void, and to reiterate that peace in that country could only be guaranteed by the establishment of majority rule.

Approved by a vote of 105 in favour to 17 against, with 9 abstentions, the text would have the Assembly reaffirm the right of the Namibian people, the Palestinian people and all peoples under foreign and colonial domination to self-determination, independence, territorial integrity, national unity and sovereignty without foreign interference. The Assembly would also reaffirm the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for their independence by all available means, "including armed struggle'.

The Assembly was asked to denounce the "collusion' between Israel and South Africa, to strongly condemn the policy of those Western States, Israel and other States whose political, economic, military, nuclear, strategic, cultural and sports relations with South Africa encourage it to persist in its suppression of peoples right to self-determination, and to demand the immediate application of the mandatory arms embargo against South Africa.

It was also asked to call on the current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to continue their efforts in finding a just and durable solution to the question of Western Sahara.

By a second text on self-determination, adopted without a vote, the Assembly was asked to declare its opposition to acts of foreign military intervention, aggression and occupation, which have resulted in the suppression of the right of peoples to self-determination in certain parts of the world, and to call on those States responsible to cease such actions immediately.

Under a third draft, adopted by a vote of 129 in favour to 1 against (United States), with 8 abstentions, the Assembly was asked to strongly condemn the policy of apartheid in South Africa and Namibia as a "crime against humanity' and to urge Member States to adopt political, economic and other measures in conformity with United Nations decisions in order to eliminate apartheid.

The Assembly was also asked to call on Member States to adopt legislative, socio-economic and other measures to ensure the prevention of discrimination based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. It would call on States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to protect fully the rights of national or ethnic minorities, as well as the rights of indigenous populations.

Under a fourth draft, adopted by a vote of 111 in favour to 1 against (United States), with 23 abstentions, the Assembly was asked to appeal to all States to ratify or accede to the 1973 International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid.

The Assembly would also ask the Human Rights Committee and the Committee against Apartheid to intensify efforts to compile periodically a list of individuals, organizations, institutions and representatives of States deemed responsible for crimes of apartheid as enumerated in article II of the Convention, as well as those against whom legal proceedings had been undertaken. The Secretary-General would be asked to make that information known to Member States and to the public.

Finally, the Secretary-General would be asked to invite States parties to the Convention, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations to provide the Commission on Human Rights with information concerning the crimes of apartheid, as described in article II of the Convention, committed by transnational corporations operating in South Africa.

Under a draft on the Second Decade against Racism and Racial Discrimination (1983-1993), the Assembly, declaring that racial discrimination was a serious violation of human rights which must be combated by "all available means', would decide that the international community and the United Nations should continue to give highest priority to programmes combating racism, and should provide assistance to victims of racism-- particularly those victims in South Africa and Namibia.

By the draft, adopted without a vote, the Assembly would authorize a global consultation on racial discrimination in 1988, focusing on coordination of international activities to combat racism. Participants would include representatives of the United Nations system, regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations.

Other activities would include a training course in 1987 for legislative draftsmen to focus on the preparation of national legislation against racism, and an international seminar in Africa in 1986 on aid to those struggling against colonialism, racism, racial discrimination and apartheid.

By a sixth text, approved without a vote, the Assembly would ask all States that had not yet done so to ratify or accede to the 1965 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. States parties to the Convention would be called on to consider the possibility of agreeing to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination receiving complaints from groups and individuals.

Discussion

During October meetings, the Committee considered simultaneously items relating to the elimination of racial discrimination, the Programme of Action for the Second Decade against Racism and Racial Discrimination, and the importance of self-determination for the effective observance of human rights.

Delegates expressed concern over the human rights situation in South Africa. The racist regime had escalated what many representatives termed a "reign of terror' against the majority population through the state of emergency it had imposed. South Africa's persecution and repression of its black population was unacceptable as was the odious system of apartheid, they said.

Many States called for imposition of mandatory sanctions against South Africa. Some said that the argument that economic sanctions would hurt the black population was self-serving. Unfortunately, they said, a few States professed a commitment to freedom and to human rights but had chosen to appease and reinforce South Africa by collaborating with it. Other nations maintained that those who called for disinvestment and severe mandatory sanctions were either "naive' or interested only in manipulating the apartheid issues for their own ulterior motives.

Many countries deplored South Africa's incursions into Angola and condemned its border violations against front-line States. Some States said South Africa's aggression against neighbouring black States would not have been possible without the assistance of imperialist Powers. Some expressed alarm over what they viewed as South Africa's growing "military might', for which they felt Western countries were at least partially responsible.

The release of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners in South Africa was called for by many Committee members. Others deplored South Africa's refusal to negotiate with the African National Congress of South Africa. The view was expressed that to deny a people the right to express their ideas, feelings and concerns was to leave them with no choice but to resort to force.

The call was made for Namibia's independence within the terms laid down in Security Council resolution 435 (1978). Most States said that the United Nations independence plan had not been implemented because of South Africa's intransigence and because of the attempt to link the presence of Cuban troops in Augola with Namibia's independence. They also rejected all attempts to link independence with any extraneous issue.

Many delegates said that the creation of an illegal interim government in Namibia was an attempt to sidetrack the United Nations from settling the problem, which was only possible by implementing Security Council resolution 435.

On the question of self-determination, a number of specific issues were cited by Committee members, including those related to the Middle East. Delegates drew attention to the right of the Palestinians to self-determination, the need for unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied territories, and for guarantees to all States in the region of their right to a safe life within their national boundaries. Many States also called for the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East.

A number of nations, including the United States and other western countries, called for withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan and of Vietnamese forces from Democratic Kampuchea, stating that foreign military intervention had deprived those peoples of their right to self-determination. The Soviet Union said the United States had trampled on the rights of the people of Grenada and was conducting an "undeclared war' against Nicaragua. American dollars, it said, were trying to undermine the rights of the Afghan population.

Some countries said the United States was trying to annex Micronesia. The United States noted that a people that expressed their will through periodic and genuine elections had exercised the right to self-determination. Millions in the world were denied that right, and most of those did not live under formal colonial rule. Rather they were States which were nominally independent, although controlled by powerful communist countries.

A few countries, including the United States and Israel, said anti-Semitism was an evil evident throughout the world and even in the United Nations. It was most apparent, they claimed, in the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries, which denied thousands of Jews the right to emigrate to Israel and elsewhere. The Soviet Union said that in practice some States encouraged state racism, but resorted to accusations against others. The United States was such a State, it said. That country should grant equal rights to the Indians and other national minorities.

Reports: Reports before the Third Committee in October included a note by the Secretary-General (A/40/694) on a study of the effects of racial discrimination in the field of education, training and employment as it affects the children of minorities, in particular those of migrant workers, requested by General Assembly resolution 39/16 of 23 November 1984.

The report on the status of the 1973 International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (A/40/606) stated the instrument had received 35 signatures, 29 of which had been followed by ratification. In addition, 52 States had acceded to the Convention, bringing the total number of ratifications and accessions to 81.

The 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination had received 76 signatures, 69 of which had been followed by ratification, the Secretary-General reported (A/40/607). In addition, 51 States had acceded to the Convention and four States had succeeded to it, bringing the total number of ratifications, accessions and successions to 124.