Council for Namibia delegates in Benelux countries.

A delegation of the United Nations Council for Namibia--the legal Administering Authority of the Territory till it achieves independence--visited the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg from 16 to 24 January to promote the implementation of United Nations resolutions on the question of Namibia and to mobilize support for the cause of Namibia. The delegation also undertook consultations with the Commission of the European Communities on 26 January and the European Parliament on 25 and 26 January to ensure that no action was taken which implied recognition of South Africa's illegal administration of Namibia.

Joint communiques were issued following the delegation's visit to the Netherlands and Luxembourg, while a joint statement was issued after its visit to belgium.

The communiques and statement said that the delegation and the countries reaffirmed the Namibians' inalienable right to self-determination and independence in a united Namibia and stressed the direct responsibility of the United Nations over Namibia.

The delegation, the Netherlands and Luxembourg: declared their resolve to pursue every effort aimed at the speedy implementation of the United Nations plan for Namibian independence; called for the immediate and unconditional implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978), and declared that Namibia's territorial integrity and unity must be assured through the reintegration of Walvis Bay within its territory; declared South Africa's attempts to impose an internal settlement in Namibia outside the framework of resolution 435 null and void; and commended SWAPO's positive role in the efforts directed at bringing about Namibian independence.

While noting the Netherlands' position that no uranium from Namibia was imported for use in the Netherlands, the delegation expressed its concern over the fact that Namibian uranium continued to be processed by the enrichment plant at Urenco. In that connection, the mission drew attention to general Assembly resolution 38/36 A of 2 December 1983, which, inter alia, urged that Namibian uranium be specifically excluded from the Treaty of Almelo, which regulated Urenco's activities. (The Urenco enrichment plant, located at Almelo in the Netherlands, is owned jointly by the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom. The Treaty of Almelo is an agreement among those countries for collaboration in the development and exploitation of the gas centrifuge process for enriching uranium.)

The delegationa and Belgium: called for the speedy and unconditional implementation of Security Council resolutions 385 (1976) and 435; agreed that Namibia's territorial integrity and unity must be preserved; and declated South Africa's attempts to impose an internal settlement in Namibia outside the framework of resolution 435 null and void.

Belgium recognized SWAPO's important contribution to the Namibian cause and reaffirmed its commitment to promote Namibian independence. It renewed its call for a peaceful settlement of the Namibian question through the speedy organization of free and democratic elections under Security Council resolution 435. It reaffirmed its support for the arms embargo imposed against South africa by Security Council resolutions 418 (1977), "which Belgium strictly observes" and demanded its full and effective implementation. The delegation expressed its concern at the presence of a South African military attche' in Brussels.