A/31/PV.55 General Assembly

Friday, Oct. 22, 1976 — Session 31, Meeting 55 — New York — UN Document ↗

THIRTY-FIRST SESSION
Vote: A/RES/31/7 Recorded Vote
Show country votes
✓ Yes (93)
Officiol Records

87.  Activities of foreign economic and other interests which are impeding the implementation of the Declaration on the GL311lting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in Southern Rhodesia and Namibia and in all other Territories under colonial domination and efforts to eliminate colonialism, apartheid and racial discrimination in southern Africa: report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of t~e Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples REPORT OF THE FOURTH COMMITTEE (A/31/301) 1.. Mr. MANGAL(Afghanistan), Rapporteur of the Fourth Committee: I have the honour to present for the Assem- bly's consideration the report of the Fourth Committee relating to agenda item 87 {A/31/301/. 2. The Fourth Committee considered this question at its 3rd through 9th meetings, held between S and 22 October 1976. At the end of its consideration of this item the Fourth Committee approved a draft resolution on the matter by 102 votes to 9, with 19 abstentions. This draft resolution is contained in paragraph 8 of the report. 3. The intensified activities of those foreign economic, financial and other interests which continue to exploit the natural and human resources of the colonial Territories and to accumulate and repatriate huge profits, to the detriment of the interests of the inhabitants, particularly in southern Africa, thereby impeding the realization by the peoples of Friday, 5 November 1976, at 11 a.m. ",NEW YORK those Territories of their legitimate aspirations for self- determination and independence, have been condemned in the recommendations of the Fourth Committee. 4. I should like to draw the particular attention 0' this Assembly to the deep concern, which was expressed by many delegations during the general debate which took place in the Fourth Committee on this item, at the growing investments of foreign capital in the production of uranium and military equipment and the extent of the nuclear and military collaboration between the racist minority regime of South Africa and some Western and other countries. This co-operation increases the nuclear and military capability of South Africa and reflects the intensified support of foreign interests for South Africa's continued illegal occupation of Namibia as well as South Africa's growth as a nuclear and military Power. This concern is reflected in the draft resolution and, in this connexion, the collaboration in both the nuclear and the military fields between those States and the racist minority regime of South Africa has been strongly condemned. S. Furthermore, by adopting the draft resolution the General Assembly would reiterate that any administering or occupying Power which deprives the colonial peoples of the exercise of their legitimate rights over their natural re- sources or subordinates the rights and interests of those peoples to foreign economic and financial interests violates the solemn obligations it has assumed under the Charter of the United Nations to promote the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the peoples of the colonial Territories concerned. 6. Those and other important considerations are duly reflected in the draft resolution. On behalf of the Fourth Committee, I commend it to the General Assembly for serious consideration and adoption. Pursuant to role 66 of the roles of procedure, it was decided not to discuss the reportofthe Fourth Committee.

The President #445
The Assembly will now proceed to vote on the draft resolution recommended by the Fourth Committee in paragraph 8 of its report [A/31/301/. A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
The draft resolution was adopted by 93 votes to 9, with 19 abstentions (resolution 31/7}.1
The PRESiDENT #446
The representative of Greece has asked for the floor to explain his vote after the vote.
Mr. Yannopoulos GRC Greece [French] #447
My delegation would like very briefly to repeat the statement which we made when we explained our vote in the Fourth Committee. 10. We said at that time that we were voting in favour of the draft resolution in question because, as is well known to all the members of the Assembly, we are devoted to the principle of self-determination and to the right of peoples to determine their own future. Greece believes that in certain circumstances the activities of foreign interests can have a harmful effect on the true interests of the peoples who live under the colonial yoke or foreign domination, and that, in addition, they can be a major obstacle to genuine independence. 11. However, the Greek delegation, as we stated in the Fourth Committee, was not and is not able to endorse eve,y provision of the draft resolution, in particular, the tenth paragraph of the preamble and operative paragraph 6. The wording of those paragraphs made it impossible for us to support them. If a separate vote had been taken on those paragraphs, my de'caation would have abstained in the voting on them.
At the invitation of the President, Mr. Boza (Peru), Mr. Litschauer (Austria), Mr. Suleiman (Oman), Mr. Koba- relov (Bulgaria) and Mr. Kalilangwe (Malawi) acted as tellers.
The President #448
I propose to suspend the meeting while the ballots are being counted. The meeting was suspended at 11.35 a.m. andresumed at 12.30p.m.
The President #449
The result of the voting for the election of 18 members of the Economic and Social Council is as follows:

16.  Election of eighteen members of the Economic'and Social Council

The President #450
The next item on our agenda for this' morning is the election of 18 members of the 1 The delegations of Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Togo, the United Republic of Cameroon and Zambia subsequently informed the Secretariat that they wished to have their votes recorded as having been in favour of the draft resolution. ~ Iberia, Mexico, Romania, Thailand, the United States of America and Zambia. Those 18 countries are eligible for immediate re-election. 13. I should like to remind members of the Assembly that after 1 January 1977, the following States will still be members of the Economic and Social Council: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Germany, Federal Republic of, Greece, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Venezuela, Yemen, Yugoslavia and Zaire. Those 36 States should therefore not appear on the ballot papers. 14. In accordance with paragraph 4 of resolution 2847 (XXVI) of 20 December 1971, the 18 members to be elected should be made up as follows: five from the group of African States, four from the group of Asian States, three from the group of Latin American States, four from the group of Western European and other States, and two from the group of socialist States of Eastern Europe. The ballot papers take that pattern into account. 15. Rule 92 of the rules of procedure provides that the election shall be held by secret ballot and that there shall be no nominations. 16. I request members of the Assembly to use only the ballot papers that are being distributed and to write on them the names of the Members States for which they wish to vote in each group. Ballot papers containing more names than the number assignee to that group will be declared invalid. 134o 134 1 133 Upper Volta 128 Ivory Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ">', • • • • • • • •• 3 Chad 0 •••• ,0. • • •• 1 Liberia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 Malawi 11 • • • • • • • • • • • •• 1 Mauritius 1 Swaziland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 134o 134 1 133 89 Iraq 108 Philippines 108 Iran ~ 102 Syrian Arab Republic . . . . . . . .. 89 Lebanon 6S Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4 Kuwait. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2 Thailand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2 Democratic Yemen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 Nepal G • • • • • • • • • •• 1 Singapore . . ~ . . . . . . e • .. • • • • • • • • • • • •• 1 United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 Group C 134o 134 3 131 88 Number ofvotes obtained: Colombia 11 •• ~ •••••• • 127 Jamaica ". 125 Mexico 124 Guatemala 6 Dominican Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 Number ofvotes obtained: Italy 127 Netherlands 122 New Zealand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 United States of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Belgium 0 1 1 134 o 134 5 129 86 Poland ' 128 Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic . . . . . . . . 120 Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic 1 Having obtained the required majority, Colombia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Mauritania, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Ukrainian SovietSocialist Republic, United States of America and Upper Volta were elected members of the Economic and Social Council for a three-year period beginning 1 January 1977 (decision 31/307).
A votewa.) taken by secret ballot.
Group A
Number ofballot papers: Invalid ballots: Number ofvalid ballots: Abstentions: Number ofmembers voting: Required majority:
GroupB
Number ofballot papers: Invalid ballots: Number ofvalid ballots: Abstentions: Number ofmembers voting: Required majority:
Number ofvotes obtained:
Number0/ballot papers: Invalid ballots: Number ofvalid ballots: Abstentions: Number ofmembers voting: Required majority:
GroupE
Number ofballot papers: Invalid ballots: Number ofvalid ballots: Abstentions: Number ofmembers voting: Required majority:
Number ofvotes obtained:
The President #451
I wish to congratulate the countries which have been elected members of the Economic and Social Council for a three-year period from 1 January 1977. I also wish to thank the tellers for their assistance in this election. The meeting rose at 12.35 p.m.