A/31/PV.82 General Assembly

Members will recall that this item was allocated to the General Assembly in plenary meeting so that the Assembly might deal with the question of the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoplesas a whole. Monilay, 29 November 1976, at lp.m. NEW YORK All the chapters of the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples [A/ll/2l/Rev.lJ relating to specific Territories have been referred to the Fourth Committee. Representatives who wish to make comments on specific Territories will have the opportunity to do so at a later date when the Assembly takes up the report of the Fourth Committee on those Territories. 2. Mr. GLAYEL (Syrian Arab Republic), Rapporteur of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (inter- pretation from French): In my capacity as Rapporteur of the Special Committee, I have the honour to submit to the Assembly the report of the Special Committee .on its work during 1976/A/31/23/Rev.lJ. The report, which concerns, inter alia. item 25 of the agenda, was prepared in ac- cordance with paragraph 11 of resolution 3481 (XXX) of 11 December 1975, in which the General Assembly re- quested the Special Committee: "... to continue to seek suitable means for the imme- diate and full implementation of resolution 1514 (XV) in all Territories which have not yet attained independence and, in particular: "(a) To formulate specific proposals for the elimi- nation of the remaining mardfestations of colo- nialism. r. 3. The complete report of the Special Committee is contained in document A/31/23/Rev.I. Reports of the Committee's consideration of the situation in each indi- vidual Territory are contained in chapters VIII tu XXXI of that document. A report of the consideration of other specific items dealt with in pertinent resolutions of the General Assembly is contained in other chapters of this report. 4. The programme of work of the Special Committee was very full in 1976, as it had been in preceding years. However, owing to its regular meetings between January and August and to formal and informal consultations held among its members whenever it was deemed necessary, the Committee was able to consider most of the items on its agenda and to adopt appropriate resolutions and to submit the necessary recommendations. As regards the other items of the agenda which were not considered, the Committee decided to transmit to the General Assembly the necessary information and documentation to facilitate their con- sideration by the Assembly. 5. The Committee was guided in its work by the requests addressed to it by the General Assembly in its resolution 7. In 1976 the Special Committee continued its con- sideration of the activities of foreign economic and other interests which are impeding the implementation of the Declaration in Southern Rhodesia and in Namibia andin all other Territories under colonial domination and efforts to eliminate colonialism, apartheid and racial discrimination in southern Africa, e: provided for in General Assembly resolution 3398 (XXX). The Fourth Committee has already submitted its recommendations concerning agenda item 87 to the General Assembly-which it adopted as reso- lution 31/7-in the light of those which were submitted to it by the Special Committee. 8. Likewise, in the light of resolutions 3481 (XXX) and 3429 (XXX), the Committee continuedits consideration of the military activities and arrangements by colonial Powers in Territories under their domination which might be impeding the implementation of the Declaration and which are Inconc tent with the provisions of the pertinent resolutions ot the General Assembly. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 3421 (XXX), the Special Committee continued its consideration of the implemen- tation of the Declaration by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations. The Committee held consultations with the representatives of those organizations, stated clearly its wishes and formulated plans for co-operation. 9. As members will recall, thisyear the Committee, on the invitation of the administering Powers concerned, was able to send two Visiting Missions, one to the British Virgin Islands and the other to the Tokelau Islands. On approving the report of the first Visiting Mission [A/31/23!Rev.l, 10. With regard to the Visiting Mission which went to the Tokelau Islands, it is clear to the Committee-if one considers the difficult problems confronting the Territory, as well as the concerns of the population and their apprehension that they may not be capable of managing their own affairs-that the population wishes to remain under the protection of the administering Power, at least until their present situationtakesa turn for the better. 11. As members have noted in the reports of the Visiting Mission and in the relevant chapters of the' report of the Committee which is now being submitted to the General Assembly, the Special Committee has given considerable attention to the question of the decolonization of small Territories, and, in thisconnexion, approved some concrete recommendations and proposals concerning the various Territories. I hasten to add that the importance that the Committee attachesto thisquestion was clearly reflected in the recent debate in the Fourth Committee, after which the Fourth Committee recommended to the attention of the General Assembly 15 draft resolutions [see A/31/362]. 12. Finally, I should mention that the Committee has discharged a number of other responsibilities which flow from the General Assembly resolutions and also from its own resolutions. It hasengaged in some activities relatedto the dissemination of information on the workof the United Nations in the field. of decolonization. Thus, in the past year the Special Committee organized a Week of Solidarity with the Colonial Peoples of Southern Africa Fighting for Freedom, Independence and Equal Rights. Among its activities in this connexion we might mention the photog- raphy exhibit organized in co-operation with the Office of Public Information to illustrate the struggle of colonial peoples in Southern Rhodesia and in Namibia. Tlte Special Committee has held consultatlons with non-governmental organizations and has participateo in some international conferences. 13. The chapters of the Committee's report relating to items on the Fourth Committee's agenda have already been submitted to that Committee. Therecommendations of the Fourth Committee will be submitted to this Assembly at the appropriate time. 14. With regard to matters related to the question of decolonization in general, on behalf of the Special Com- mittee, I should like to express the hope that the General Assembly will give due attention to the various recommen- dations contained in the various partsof the report and that the proposals contained in section P of chapter I, entitled 15. Likewise, the Special Committee recommends to the General Assembly to appeal onceagain to the administering Powers concerned immediately to take all necessary measures for the implementation of the Declaration and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations. The Committee has emphasized the importance it attaches to the affirma- tion by the General Assembly that the association of colonial Territories with the work of the United Nations and the work of specialized agencies is a11 effective means of promoting the progress of the peoples of these Terri- tories towards equality with the States Members of this Organization. An additional recommendation is that the General Assembly shouldinvite the administering Powers to enable representatives of the various Territories to participate in the debatesof the Fourth Committee and the Special Committee. Also, the General Assembly may wish to appeal once again to all Member States, the specialized agencies and other organizations, to heed the requests made to them by the United Nations in various resolutions concerning decolonization. The Committee also recom- mends to the General Assembly, when it approves the programme of work contained in that section of the report, to make the necessary financial arrangements to coverall of the activities plannedin 1977. 16. In conclusion, the Special Committee expresses the hope that the Secretary-General wilI continue to make available to it all the necessary facilities and staff to enable it to discharge its functions as laid down in its terms of reference. 17. On behalf of the Special Committee, I recommend the report [A/31/23/Rev.l] to the General Assembly for its attention. 18. Mr. SALIM (Unired Republic of Tanzania), Chairman of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries al. I Peoples: The General Assembly has just heard a detailed account of the work of the Special Committee during the past year, delivered very eloquently by the Rapporteur of the Committee, my colleague from the SyrianArab Republic. I do not intend to repeat the task he has so ably discharged. Instead, as Chairman of the Special Committee, I would like to review very briefly some of the principal develop- ments in the field of decolonization and h.' focus the attention of this Assembly on the major problems which now confront us. 19. When I spoke in this Assembly last year on the occasion of its commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,' I pointed out that, notwlthstar.dlng the very remarkable progress achieved in recent years, the overriding fact of which wemust not lose sight is that there stilI remain more than 12 miJIion people scattered throughout the world for whom the Declaration 20. Already last year, it was evident that the struggle for liberation in both Zimbabwe and Namibia had intensified and had entered, or was about to enter, what might prove to be a flnal and decisive phase. Although by no means the sole, or even the main, element contributing to this, there was no doubt that the emergence of independent, sovereign African States in Mozambique and Angola gave a tre- mendous impetus to the determination of the African peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia to hasten their own liberation. For the illegal white minority rulers of Zim- babwe, it also meant the loss of two of their principal channels for evading the mandatory sanctions imposed by the Security Council. Thus the political changes of 1975 presaged an intensification of the armedstruggle within the Territories stilI under racist domination and also, as a consequence, created greater panic and desperation in the camp of the forces of oppression. 21. We have witnessed a logical extension of these developments in the course of this year. On the one hand, the freedom fighters of Namibia and Zimbabwe have forged ahead in their struggle, making great sacrifices both human and material, but determined to secure by all the means at their disposal their legitimate right to self-determination and independence. At the same time, wehave witnessed an escalation of repressive violence perpetrated by the racist minority regimes stubbornly clinging to the maintenance of the status quo. These regimes have not only intensified their aggression against the African people of Namibia and Zimbabwe, but with equal vehemence have sought to threaten the territorial integrity and security of the independent African States. Thus, the People'sRepublicof Angola, the People's Republic of Mozambique and the Republic of Zambia have constantly become victims of aggression by these regimes. 22. In Zimbabwe, the illegal racist minority regime, unwilling to accept that its days were numbered, has intensified its inhuman practices of oppression, CJIlective punishment and terror in an attempt to intimidate the African population and to counter the growing resistance of the liberation movement. In large areas, the African population has been forcibly removed from their homes and compeIJed to live under guards in concentrated settlements. Throughout the Territory, the armedforces of the racist regime stepped up their repression, seeking to destroy the freedom fighters and, when this failed, taking reprisals against all who were suspected of having given them sustenance or of ~ympathizing with them; sUl,;h has been the atmosphere of repression and fear that not even white religious leaders have been spared. The escalation of 23. It is significant that these acts of aggression against the People's Republic of Mozambique, as well as an escalation of violence against Zimbabwean patriots have continued unabated during the Geneva Conference. For these des- perate and reckless actions speak for themselves. They demonstrate without the slightest doubt that there has been no fundamental change of attitude on the part of the lan Smith racist minority regime. Smith's acceptance of majority rule is not a result of a change of heart, but a mere recognition of the inevitable. And it is safe to assume that the racist minority regime will spare no effort to prolong as much as possible that which is inevitable. It is therefore important for the international community to bear this factor in mind as it follows and assesses the current negotiations in Geneva. 24. In contrast, the decision of the Zimbabwe nationalist leaders to attend the Geneva talks fully demonstrates the willingness of the African people of Zimbabwe to attain independence by lessviolent means on the basis of majority if this is still possible. Without exception, the nationalist leaders in Geneva have pursued the negotiations with seriousness. They rightly view the Geneva negotiations as an extension of the struggle back home. Having had the opportunity to follow these negotiations at close quarters as the head of the observer delegation of my own country, I can testify to the seriousness of purpose of the nationalist delegations. Even at the height of provocations charac- terized by a barrage of abuses and insults by the Smith regime's delegation, the nationalist leaders have remained calm and simply refused to be provoked or to be detracted from their objective, which is to ensure an effective transfer of power from the racist minority regime. 25. At this particular j.tcture of the negotiations, it is neither opportune nor appropriate to make any lengthy evaluation of either their present status or prospects. Yet a few observations are pertinent and timely. The Geneva Conference represents both an opportunity and a challenge. If the negotiations succeed, and we must all hope that they do, the outcome would be to bring to an end the long suffering and misery that has afflicted that unhappy land. Success will also generate its own momentum for peace and security in that subregion. If, however, the Smith regime were to employ its dilatory manoeuvres and thus block the road to negotiations, perhaps a final opportunity towards a negotiated settlement would have been lost with all its attendant consequences. For the struggle must and will continue! 26. It is important in this context to stress the role of the United Kingdom as the administering Power. The United Kingdom has a clear and inescapable responsibility to decolonize Zimbabwe. It is thus incumbent upon Britain to demonstrate by word and deed its preparedness to work effectively for the realization of the objective of a speedy attainment of an independent Zimbabwe under majority 27. The United Nations must continue to render its unqualified support to the struggle of the people of Zimbabwe. In this respect, the international community must be alert to any deception. Until the illegalregime has surrendered power to the people of Zimbabwe, the inter- national community must maintain its vigilance. It must not only continue to exert pressure on the illegal regime, including the sustained application of mandatory sanctions, but it must increase its support and material assistance to the people of Zimbabwe and their liberation movement. 28. The situation in Namibia is no less serious. Here, too, South Africa, after the ignominious ending of its aggression against Angola, has reinforced its military occupation and escalated its reign of terror against the Namibian people. Stubbornly refusing to relinquish its illegal hold over the Territory, the South African regime has sought to suppress the mounting opposition to its presence among all sections of the African population by carrying out mass arrests and detentions of Namibians, directed especially at the leaders and members of the South West Africa People's Organi- zation [SWAPO] inside Namibia. Furthermore, in con- temptuous disregard for United Nations decisions, it has continued its policy of "divide and rule", resorting to the strategem of a so-called "constitutional conference" of hand-picked representatives and to proposals for a puppet government to give a semblance of validity to its continued domination of the Territory. The international community has rightly rejected this manoeuvre and has insisted that any negotiation of the future must be in accord with the principles laid down by the United Nations and conducted with the authentic representatives of the Namibian people, SWAPO. It is to be regretted that some Member States, despite this situation, still continue to aid and abet the South African r6gime in its defiance of the United Nations by supplying it with the arms and military equipment which enahie the regime to perpetuate its illegaloccupation of the international Territory. 29. It is particularly regrettable that when the Security Council last considered this question subsequent to South Africa's failure to respond positively to its resolution 385 (1976), the Council was frustrated from taking appro- priate measures due to the triple veto. And it is to be earnestly hoped that the three Western members of the Council concerned will reconsider their position so as to work in concert with the rest of the international com- munity in adopting appropriate measures to arrest the rapidly deteriorating situation now unfolding in Namibia. 30. The Special Committee has, of course, followed these developments with the closest attention and this year has again devoted much time and effort to seeking ways and 31. Thus, in April this year, the Special Committee, mindful of the seriousness of the situation, dispatched a high-level ad hoc group of six of its members to Africain order to undertake a detailed study of the problems confronting not only the peopleof Zimbabwe and Namibia but also the African front-line States adjacent to those Territories. I do not intend to repeat the conclusions of this group over which I had the privilege to preside. These are set out in the Special Committee's report to the Assembly {see A/31/23/Rev.l, chap. VII, sect. Cl. However, two things are abundantly clear: first, the need for intensified support and aid to the peoples concerned and their liberation movements; and, secondly, the need to provide all possible assistance to Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia in order to help them to cope with the massive influx of refugees and, above all, to meet the serious economic consequences resulting from their strict obser- vance of the mandatory sanctions imposed by the Security Council. For Mozambique, which is faced with problems of reconstruction after five centuries of colonial rule and a decade of brutal colonial warfare, the courageous decision to apply the Security Council's sanctions represents an enormous sacrifice. 32. The ad hoc group also proposed-and the Special Committee subsequently endorsed its proposal [ibid., sect. B}-that the United Nations should organize during 1977 an international conference to mobilize world public opinion in support of the peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia, which might be held at the capital of one of the countries adjacent to the areas of struggle for liberation. The conference would be attended by representatives of States members of the United Nations bodies directly concerned, the leaders of the national liberation movements of the Trrrltorles, representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as experts and individuals closely associated with the efforts of the colonial peoples to secure their freedom and independence. The Special Committee felt that such a conference-which would in effect be somewhat similar to the international conference held in Oslo in 19732 -·organized in co- operation with the Organization of African Unity, would be most timely and constructive at this presentjuncture. Since the Special Committee endorsed this recommendation, consultations have taken place and a concrete proposal, with financial implications, will be submitted to the Assembly for consideration during the present sesston.s Clearly the coming year will be a critical one as concerns the remaining colonial problems in southern Africa, and I am sure that there are few in this Assembly who will not 2 International Conference of Experts for the Support of Victims of Colonialism and Apartheid in Southern Africa, held at Oslo from 9 to 14 Apri11973. 3 SUbsequently circulated as documents Al31/L.31 and Add.l-3, and A/31/442/Rev.1. 33. While the Special Committee necessarily devoted much of its time to the urgent and complex questions relating to the colonial questions in southern Africa, it has also given considerable attention to the other colonial problems, particularly to the territories in the Caribbean, Indian and Pacific Oceans. In this respect, the past year has been both rewarding and frustrating. On the positive side, we welcome whole-heartedly the emergence of yet another independent and sovereign State, Seychelles, which has taken its rightful place in the community of nation'! and become a Member of this Organization. In several other Territories, too, advances have been made which, though they fall short of the aims of the Declaration, have at least brought the Territories a step closer to the final goal. Thus the introduction last January of full internal self-govern- ment in the Solomon Islands is a step in the right direction, which has paved the way for further joint efforts by the Governments of the United Kingdom and the Solomon Islands to work out a constitution under which the Solomon Islanders may attain their independence in the not-too-distant future. We welcome also the co-operation which the Special Committee has continued to receive from certain administering Powers, especially in respect of some of the smaller Territories, whose difficulties in attaining the goal of decolonization are often compounded by their size and paucity of resources. In such cases, the Special Committee can, as I have so often repeated, assist most usefully when it is enabled to obtain first-hand information by dispatching a visiting mission to study the problems on the spot and to ascertain the wishes and aspirations of the peoples concerned. During the past year, I am happy to report that the Committee was able to dispatch two such visiting missions, to the Britis" Virgin Islands and the Tokelau Islands, with most useful results. It ismy confident hope that the Special Committee may be enabled to dispatch similar missions to other Territories during the coming year. Let us also hope that the fine example set by the admlntstering Powers concerned will enable others to reconsider their negative attitude with respect to receiving visiting missions in the Territories under their adminis- tration. 34. As I remarked at the beginning of this statement, there is still a long road to be travelled and many obstacles to be overcome before the United Nations will have discharged the obligation placed upon it by the Declaration and the relevant Articles of our founding Charter. That obligation will remain until the last vestige of colonialism has been eliminated. Let us confront our responslbllities conscien- tiously and, during the coming year, make a united effort to bring this goal closerto reality. 35. Forgive me if I end my address with a few personal comments. This has been my fifth successive year of presiding over the Special Commin ~. Every year has been characterized by both challenges and opportunities. This

In order to facilitate the organi- zation ofour work, may I propose that the listof speakers on the item be closed at 5 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, 30 November. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides to close the list at 5 p.m. tomorrow.