South Africa: action against apartheid continues; 'difficult transition ahead.'

All parties in South Africa should reach agreement on the principles and modalities for the difficult transition ahead, based on "inclusiveness, mutual tolerance and respect", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali stated on 22 March, at a solemn meeting of the Special Committee against Apartheid, held in observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

South Africa was "at the dawn of a new era . . . marked by reconciliation and a renewed determination to overcome difficulties" through negotiation and dialogue, the Secretary-General said. The UN was committed to facilitating the negotiating process and had "spared no effort in bringing about peace and reconciliation".

Opening the solemn meeting, Special Committee Chairman Albrahim Gambari of Nigeria said he was heartened to see that South Africa had begun to "break away from the clutches of racism".

More observers sent

Security Council President Terence O'Brien of New Zealand welcomed the Secretary-General's decision to increase by 10 the number of observers in South Africa, whose presence had "proven to have a salutory effect". The Council urged all political entities in South Africa to "nurture the new opportunities" for dialogue.

This year's observance of the International Day--proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1966--marked the thirty-third anniversary of the 21 March 1960 massacre at Sharpeville, South Africa, of 69 unarmed persons, mostly women and children, demonstrating peacefully against the pass laws.

The international observer missions in South Africa--the UN, the Commonwealth, the European Community and the Organization of African Unity--called for a Day of Peace and Reconciliation in South Africa to be celebrated on 21 March.

In a joint statement on 16 March, they expressed "grave concern" over the escalation of violence in South Africa and called for a meeting between African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela and Chief Buthelezi of the Inkatha Freedom Party.

South African authorities were urged to repeal the Internal Security Act and allow all political parties and interest groups to express themselves, especially during the time of transition to a democratic South Africa.

Pledges and contributions of more than $5 million were made to UN assistance programmes for southern Africa at a pledging conference held at UN Headquarters on 22 March.

In his opening remarks, the Secretary-General said that generosity was "needed now more than ever" during South Africa's process of transition. "The country and the region face massive tasks of political and social transformation", he said.

South African Foreign Minister R. F. Botha, in an 18 March message (A/48/118), said his Government had pledged to "respect and protect the human dignity of every person", stating that all persons "shall be equal before the law and entitled to equal protection by the law". It had declared that "no person shall be favoured or prejudiced solely by reason of race, colour, language, sex, religion, ethnic origin, social class, birth, political or other convictions, or disabilities or other natural characteristics".

To strengthen further observance of human rights, the Government on 29 January became party to a number of international instruments, including those concerning the human rights of women and children.

IAEA welcomes disclosure

South Africa's disclosure of the military part of its nuclear programme and its assurances that the relevant facilities, equipment and material had been either destroyed or converted for peaceful use were welcomed by the international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 24 March.

The Agency noted President F. W. de Klerk's recent statement disclosing that work had been done in the past on a limited number of military nuclear devices, but that it had been terminated prior to South Africa's accession to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty on 10 July 1991.

Also, the decision was announced by the Special Committee on 17 February to discontinue two registers--one of sports teams and individual athletes, and the other of entertainers, actors and others who had contacts with South Africa, set up in 1981 and 1983, respectively, to discourage sports and cultural contacts with South Africa.