A/32/PV.92 General Assembly

Representatives will recall that all the chapters relating to specific Territories 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-which had been referred to the Fourth Committee-were dealt with by the Assembly at its 83rd plenary meeting, on 28 November 1977. Therefore, representatives have had an opportunity to comment on those Territories. 2. We have before us the report ofthe Special Committee [A/32/23/Rev.l]. I now invite the Rapporteur of the Special Committee, Mr. Sami Glayel of the Syrian Arab Republic, to present the Special Committee's report. 3. 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 (interpre- tation from French): The report of the Special Committee on its work for 1977 is Sft forth in document A/32/23/ Rev.1, which I have the honour to submit today to the General Assembly. 4. A record of the examination by the Special Committee of the situation in each specific Territory is contained in chapters VII to XXXI of the aforementioned document. The report which relates, inter alia, to item 24 of the • Resumed from the 83rd meeting. NEW YORK agenda, was prepared pursuant to paragraph 12 of resolu- tion 31/143 of 17 December 1976, in which the General Assembly requested: "... the Special Committee to continue t<;> seek suitable means for the immediate and full implementation of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) in all Territories which have not yet attained independence and, in particular: "(a) To formulate specifi:; proposals for the elimi- nation of the remaining manifestations of colonial- . " ISm .••• 5. An account of the examination by the Special Com- mittee of other points touched upon in the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly is contained in the other chapters of this report. 6. In 1977, as in previous years, t.h.e Special Committee had a very full programme of work. However, the Com- mittee was able, by means ef its regular meetings between January and September, together with official and informal consultations between its members whenever that appeared necessary, to examine the majority of items on its agenda and to adopt appropriate resolutions or submit the neces- sary recommendations. As regards those other items on our agenda which were not examined, the Committee decided to transmit to the General Assembly the necessary infor- mation and documentation to facilitate their examination by the Assembly. 7. The Committee was guided in its work by the requests that were addressed to it by the General Assembly in resolution 31/143. It reviewed the situation with reg~lfd to the implementation of the Declaration in resolution 1514 (XV) and of the Programme of Action for its full implementation [resolution 2621 (XXV)], as well as the various resolutions of the United Nations concerning colonial Territories. In the light of recent developments, the Committee formulated recommendations for the adoption and implementation of appropriate measures by Member States, by the competent organs and by the specialize~ agerlcies and other bodies in order to speed up the decolonization process and the political, economic and social preparation of the peoples of those Territories. 8. Acting in conformity with the mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly in its resolution 31/145, the Special Committee, in close co-operation with the United Nations Council for Namibia, and in consultation with the Organization of African Unity {OA U], organized ilL Maputo in May the International Conference in Support of the Peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia. 10. The Fourth Committee has already submitted some of its recommendations to the General Assembly in the light of those submitted to that Committee by the Special Committee [seeA/32/356}. 11. As members will recall, this year the Committee was in a position to send out two Visiting Missions, in response to the invitations extended by the administering Powers concerned, one to the United States Virgin Islands, the other to the Cayman Islands. The Special Committee took note of the report of the Mission which had visited the United States Virgin Islands for the first time [A/32/23/ Rev.l, chap. XXVII, annex], and of the observations, conclusions and recommendations of its members, who had suggested that the administering Power should inform itself of the population's political aspirations by organizing a referendum or a plebiscite under United Nations obser- vation. They invited the administering Power to revise Federal immigration laws and to adopt measures designed to foster and promote entrepreneurship among the indi- genous population, as well as to co-operate with the Government of the United States Virgin Islands in taking measures to ensure the creation of jobs of all types so as to encourage the people to stay in their country and to develop it. Furthermore, the Mission considered that the administering Power should consider the possibility of building additional schools and ensuring that the educa- tional system in the Territory would provide its people with the skills necessary to manage all sectors of the national economy. 12. In accepting the report of the Visiting Mission to the Cayman Islands [ibid., chap. XXVI, annex], the Committee drew the administering Power's attention to the obser- vations, conclusions and recommendations of the Mission with a view to their implementation, in the light of the wishes of the inhabitants. It recommended that particular attention be accorded to the diversification ofthe economy and endorsed the view of the Mission with regard to training and education, and to the assistance which should be offered to the islands by the specialized agencies. 13. As members will have seen in the reports of the Visiting Missions and in the relevant chapters of the 14. Finally, I should mention that the Special Committee discharged a number of other responsibilities arising from General Assembly resolutions, as well as from its own resolutions. Thus the Committee undertook certain activi- ties concerned with the dissemination of information on the work of the United Nations in the field of decolo- nization. During the past year the Special Committee celebrated the Week of Solidarity with the Colonial Peoples of Southern Africa Fighting for Freedom, Independence and Equal Rights in the context of the Maputo Conference. The Special Committee also held consultations with non- governmental organizations and participated in a number of international conferences. 15. The chapters of the Special Committee's report relating to the items on the Fourth Committee's agenda have already been submitted to that Committee, whose recommendations have in turn been recently submitted to this Assembly. 16. In regard to subjects having to do with the question of decolonization in general, I should like, on behalf of the Special Committee, to voice the hope that the Assembly will give due consideration to the recommendations con- tained in the various parts of the report, and that the proposals contained in section P of chapter I, entitled "Future work", will be adopted, thereby enabling the Committee to continue to shoulder its .responsibilities next year. 17. Furthermore, the Special Committee recommends that the General Assembly renew its appeal to the administering Powers concerned to take all necessary steps immediately for the implementation of the Declaration and the relevant United Nations resolutions. The Committee stressed the importance it attaches to the General Assembly's decla- ration that direct association of colonial Territories in the work of the United Nations and the specialized agencies is an effective means of promoting the progress of the peoples of those Territories towards a position of equality with States Members of this Organization. Another recommenda- tion is that the Assembly should invite the administering Powers to allow representatives of the Territories under their administration to participate in the discussions in the Fourth Committee and the Special Committee. The General Assembly might also wish to renew its appeal to all Member States, the specialized agencies and other organizations to comply with the requests addressed to them by the United Nations in its various decolonization resolutions. The Committee recommends that the General Assembly, in approving its programme of work contained in section P of chapter I of the report, should make adequate financial provision to cover all activities envisaged for 1978. 19. On behalf of the Special Committee, I commend the report [A/32/23/Rev.l] to the General Assembly for its attention.

I call on the Chairman of the Special Committee. 21. Mr. SALIM (United 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 and Peoples: The General Assembly has just heard a detailed account of the work of the Special Committee during the past year, which was very eloquently delivered by the Rapporteur of the Committee, our friend Mr. Glayel of the Syrian Arab Republic. I do not intend to repeat the task which he has so ably discharged. Instead, as Chairman of the Special. Committee, I should like to review briefly some of the principal developments which have recently occurred in the field of decolonization and to focus the attention of the Assembly on the major problems now confronting us. 22. The Assembly will no doubt agree that the highlight of the Special Committee's work during the current year was the International Conference in Support of the Peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia, held at Maputo in Mozambique from 16 to 21 May under the auspices of the United Nations and the DAD. The Conference, in the Ofbanization of which the Special Committee played a leading role, marked yet another milestone in the efforts of the international community to support the struggling peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia to attain their freedom and independence. Coming at a time when the attention of the world has been more and more focused on the search for a just and lasting solution to one of its more complex problems, the Conference indeed served as a catalytic force in enlisting world-wide support and assistance for the peoples of those territories. 23. The Maputo Conference resulted in the adoption by consensus of a political Declaration and Programme of Action for the Liberation of Zimbabwe and Namibia. l What is most significant about the Conference is that for .he first time an assembly hroadly representative of the international community, consisting of high-level delega- tions from 92 States Members of the United Nations, as ~"ell as representatives of national and international govern- mental and non-governmental organizations, was able to reach a consensus on an important and far-reaching declaration in support of the peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia in their struggle for national liberation. The outcome of that Conference constitutes a major step towards the isolation of the colonial and racist regimes in southern Africa. 24. The Declaration approved by the Conference, among other things, recognized that the development of the armed 25. The Programme of Action also appeal:; to all non- governmental organizations to intensify their campaigns in support of the peoples and their national liberation movements in their struggle for freedom and independence and urges all solidarity organizations to establish effective national committees in their respective countries to prevent any action in favour of the racist minority regimes. 26. At this stage, on behalf of the Special Committee, I should like to pay a special tribute to the President of Mozambique, Mr. Samora Moises Machel, who, by his wisdom and statesmanship, did so much to ensure the success of the Maputo Conference. The Committee also expresses its highest appreciation tp the Administrative Secretary-General of the GAU for the co-operation extended to it in organizi.ng the Conference and con- tributing to the latter's success. 27. Furthermore, on behalf of the Special Committee, I wish to express our profound gratitude to the Governments of the following countries: Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Burundi, the. Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, the People's Republic of China, the Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, the German Democratic Republic, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philip- pines, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, Sri Lanka, the Sudan, Sweden, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Republic of Cameroon, the United Republic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Yugoslavia and Zambia. 28. The 61 countries which I have just mentioned are those which have so generously made voluntary contribu- tions to cover the cost of the Conference, thus enabling it to be convened. The Committee also expresses its deep appreciation to the Committee of Liberation of the DAD for its generous contribution. 29. As things stand, I understand that the voluntary contributions and pledges exceeded the required amount. I would suggest, therefore, subject to the agreement of the contributing countries, that the balance remaining from those contributions be utilized partly to help the oppressed peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia through the appropriate existing United Nations funds and partly to publicize the deliberations of the Maputo Conference. Clearly the Special 30. In its consideration of the questions of Namibia and Southern Rhodesia, the Special Committee has repeatedly stressed that the tragic situation prevailing in those Terri- tories is compounded by the fact that the racist regimes in power are known to receive covert, and sometimes overt, support from their trading partners and from certain foreign interests which openly ignore and violate the relavant decisions of the United Nations. That such a short-sighted and selfish attitude on the part of some members of the international community cannot but further embolden the coloniaIist and racist regimes con- cerned is self-evident. On behalf of the Special Committee, therefore, I wish to reiterate the call for an immediate cessation of any collaboration with those colonial and racist regimes. 31. .I wish also to underscore the need to do everything in our power to assist the heroic struggle of the national liberation movements concerned and to support the Governments of Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia in resisting aggression by the colonial and racist regimes. Solidarity with and active support for the peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia led by their liberation move- ments during this difficult time will hasten the day of liberation, will lessen the risk of a major international conflict and, in the long run, will reduce the cost of freedom for Zimbabwe and Namipia in terms of bloodshed and human suffering. 32. The Maputo Declaration and Programme of Action have succinctly addressed themselves to those demands of the hour. And it is my confident hope that this Assembly will, without any dissension, approve the report of the Maputo Conference, as called for in draft resolution A/32/L35, sponsored by more than 80 delegations. But beyond the adoption of that draft resolution lies the clarion call for the implementation of the Maputo Declaration and Programme of Action. 33. The Maputo Declaration provides a unique oppor- tunity for us all to confront the challenge in Zimbabwe and Namibia. This challenge becomes all the more pressing in view of the rapidly deteriorating situation in southern Africa. While the apartheid regime continues to cling to its illegal occupation of the international Territory of Namibia and to mount systematic acts of aggression against the People's Republic of Angola, the Smith regime in Southern Rhodesia has been indulging in one desperate manoeuvre after another. The recent massive acts of aggression against the People's Republic ofMozambique by the illegal regime, resulting in the massacre ofwomen and children, are part of this scenario. So, of course, is Smith's latest manoeuvre of attempting a so-called internal settlement which would in effect maintain the structures and instruments of racist and colonial domination in the Territory. 34. The coming year will, I believe, be most critical for the cause of decolonization in southern Africa and will be one which will require us to remain constantly vigilant and constantly alert to changing situations and ever ready to propose and to take positive action and initiatives. We must 35. As in previous years, the Special Committee has also given considerable time and attention to problems affecting other colonial Territories, particularly those of the smaller Territories in the Caribbean and the Asian and the Pacific regions. But before I comment on that, allow me on behalf of the Special Committee to welcome whole-heartedly the emergence of yet another independent and sovereign State, Djibouti, which has taken its rightful place in the com- munity of nations and become a Member of this Organi- zation. 36. In respect of the problem of the small Territories, I would once again stress the fundamental position of the Special Committee and the General Assembly in this regard, namely, that, notwithstanding the special circumstances of the geographical location, population and economic con- ditions of the Territories, the peoples of those Territories rightfully possess the full and inalienable right to self- determination aftd independence in accordance with the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, as set forth in General Assembly resolution 1514 «XV). On the basis of the solemn obliga- tions and undertakings assumed by the administering Powers under the Charter and the relevant decisions of the United Nations, it behooves those Powers to ensure that that right is respected and that the true aspirations and wishes of the peoples in the Territories are complied with. 37. It is with much satisfaction that I am able to state that the Special Committee, in its consideration and exami- nation of the conditions in those small Territories, has now received the co-operation of all the administering Powers concerned. This co-operation has been very important in enabling the Committee to discharge properly the respon- sibilities entrusted to it by the General Assembly. 38. At this juncture, I wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to the fact that in several Territories advances have been made which, although falling short of the aims of the Declaration, have at least brought the Territories a step closer to the final goal. 39. Last year, I stated that complete internal self- government" as achieved in January 1976 in the Solomon Islands.2 It is with much satisfaction that I note that the constitutional conference on the Solomons took place in September 1977 and that there are no barriers to prevent the independence of that Territory taking place in mid-1978. 41. As regards Tuvalu, the people of the Territory have now chosen to proceed towards independence and, follow- ing the elections recently held in the Territory, it is envisaged that a constitutional conference will take place in London in February 1978 and that independence will be granted the Territory in October 1978. 42. As far as the Anglo-French condominium of the New Hebrides is concerned, the British and the French Govern- ments intend to introduce internal self-government with an executive council of ministers immediately following the elections for the new Assembly. Last July the represen- tatives of the two Governments concerned agreed upon a programme which would allow the Territory to attain its independence in 1980. Further regarding the New Hebrides, we welcome this year the participation, for the fIrst time, of one of the two co-administering Powers in the relevant work of the Special Committee and hope that this practice will continue, as it is particularly important that the United Nations should receive the fullest co-operation of both Powers concerned in its efforts to expedite the process of the speedy implementation of the Declaration. 43. As has already been pointed out by our Rapporteur, the Special Committee was this year able to send two Visiting Missions to colonial Territories. These were to the Cayman Islands, under the administration of the United Kingdom, and to the United States Virgin Islands. The latter was the fIrst Visiting Mission sent by the United Nations to a Non-Self-Governing Territory under the administration of the United States. 44. While I do not wish, at this stage, to go into the substance of the relevant reports, I should like to reiterate that these Missions demonstrated once again what the Special Committee has so often asserted, namely, that the dispatch of such missions constitutes an essential and indispensable means for the United Nations to secure adequate and fust-hand information regarding the political, economic and social conditions in those Territories, as well as to learn at fust hand the views and aspirations of their peoples. In this respect the Committee has noted the continued co-operation and collaboration of the administer- ing Powers concerned. Giwn the proven value of visiting missions, it is hoped that the Special Committee will be able to continue to dispatch such missions to Territories in 1978. 45. In the last few years, we have indeed seen measurable progress in the process of decolonization after years of what appeared to be a total impasse. It would be wrong, however, for us to overstress that progress-and harmful for the future if we were complacent There is still a long struggle before us before the United Nations will have entirely discharged the obligations placed upon it by the Declaration and the relevant articles of our Charter. Members will agree with me that only when the last vestiges of colonialism have totally been eliminated from the world can we, in this Organization, consider that "that obliga- tion" has fmally been discharged. 47. I should like at this stage to make a few personal comments. This has been for me the sixth successive year in which I have presided over the Special Committee. Every year has been characterized by both challenges and oppor- tunities. This year has been no different, and I have enjoyed the fullest co-operation of my colleagues both in the Committee and in the Secretariat Our Secretary-General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, has shown consistent interest in the fIeld of decolonization and has rendered the maximum co-operation and assistance. This has been forthcoming from himself personally and from his able collaborators, foremost among whom is the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Trusteeship and Decolonization, Mr. Tang Ming-chao. To them I express my profound appreciation and gratitude. 48. My particular thanks go also to my colleagues and friends, the offIcers of the Committee-Ambassador Frank Abdulah of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Tom Vraalsen of Norway, Mr. Neytcho Neytchev of Bulgaria, and Mr. Sami Glayel of the Syrian Arab Republic. Besides being hard working, effective and dedicated to their responsibilities, they have all shown extraordinary friendship, understand- ing and co-operation to me, for which I am deeply grateful. 49. Before concluding my statement I should like to pay a particular tribute to Norway for the co-operation it has rendered and the invaluable contribution it has made to the work of the Special Committee in the past two years. In keeping with the system of rotation agreed upon by the Nordic countries, the delegation of Norway is retiring from the Committee at the end of this year, and I am confident that its successor-which, I am sure, you, Mr. President, will nominate in due course-will continue, in the great tradi- tion of the Nordic countries, to play an important role in the cause of decolonization. 50. We in the Special Committee shall certainly miss the immense contribution made by Norway and its capable representation, which for two years through our friend Mr. Vraalsen occupied an eminent position among the officers of the Committee. But we are comforted by the knowledge that the tradition, which is truly Nordic, of fIrmly supporting the process of decolonization will be maintained by Norway's successor.

I should like to inform the As- sembly at this stage that it is my intention to allow five or six meetings for consideration of agenda item 24 and it is my hope that the debate on this item will conclude and the voting on the draft resolutions before us will take place in the afternoon of Wednesday, 7 December. In order to 52. Miss KONIE (Zambia): Permit me, both in my capacity as President of the United Nations Council for Namibia and as Permanent Representative of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations, to congratulate Ambas- sador Salim A. Salim of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Chairman of the Special Committee, and all the members of that Committee on the report on the question of the situation with regard to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. 53. I assume it to be unnecessary to state that the work of the Special Committee has, since its establishment on 27 November 1961 by the General Assembly in its resolution 1654 (XVI), been a source ofgreat inspiration to the entire United Nations membership. The Special Committee has responded admirably to the task of examining and assessing the implementation of the historic Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, adopted by the General Assembly in 1960. 54. Since that time a number of colonial countries and peoples have become independent thanks to the untiring and ceaseless efforts of the Special Committee, which has doggedly pursued the goals set for it by the General Assembly. Indeed, even the birth of the Council for Namibia, over which I have the privilege to preside, could in the main be attributed to the fact that the Special Committee has since its inception seized every possible opportunity at any given time to heighten the awareness of the United Nations in the field of decolonization. 55. The Maputo Conference, which was held recently, was sponsored by the Special Committee in conjunction with the Council for Namibia, is yet another clear manifestation of this collective effort to sensitize the international community. But, equally important, the Maputo Confer- ence is a living example of the kind of productive co-operation that is vitally necessary between organs and institutions of the United Nations, the tasks of which are interrelated and inseparable. 56. My delegation is mindful of the fact that there still remain a number of colonial situations that demand the urgent implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. We are, further, mindful of the fact that some of those situations are located outside Africa. It is, however, my submission that the most intractable of those situations are those to be . found in southern Africa. This is not to suggest that all efforts should be directed at solving the African decoloniza- tion problems first, but rather to sound a timely warning that the African decolonization problems will in one way or another demand of the international community a very high price. 57. Paying a price involves commitment. For those of us who live in Africa and who are close to colonial situations 58. That is the reason why, year in and year out, we come before the Assembly and demand that the rest of the international community share in the total price that has to be paid in order to fulfil the General Assembly's com- mitment contained in its resolution 1654 (XVI) of 27 November 1961 and other relevant resolutions of both the General Assembly and the Security Council on questions of decolonization. What, then, do we expect from the rest of the Member States? What is the nature of the price they must genuinely pay in the realization of the noble objectives adopted in the field of decolonization? In genera~ all Member States must bring the maximum pressure to bear on the white racist minority regimes to dislodge them from their seats of oppression. 59. We are aware that the nature and magnitude of the pressures that should be exelted by Member States must be dependent on and commensurate with their historic rela- tionships with those minority regimes. For the majority of Western countries with well-known strong historical ties, the price will invariably be higher, not only because it is required of them to abandon arguments and considerations concerning kith and kin and material gain, but also because it is demanded of them that they re-evaluate their positions on the role of their el::onomic involvement in the Territories still under racist minority regimes. 60. The international community is only too well aware that the Western countries have explicitly or implicitly invoked these arguments and considerations as barriers to their willingness to apply the principles of democracy to the situation in southern Africa-the very principles that provide the basis of their own systems of government. 61. I should like to refer briefly to specific cases of decolonization in southern Africa and to state the position of my Government regarding such cases. 62. In the case of Southern Rhodesia it is a fact that the die has been cast for freedom and independence, thanks to the sustained armed struggle being waged by the gallant liberation movements. But for that armed struggle, the heightened awareness of the problem so evident today would not have been created. Equally certainly the flurry of diplomatic initiatives directed at finding a peaceful settlement to the problem would not have emerged. 64. In the case of Namibia, my delegation firmly believes that it is incumbent upon the United Nations to ensure that South Africa does not wiggle out of handing over genuine independence to the people of Namibia, who have con- tinued to make tremendous sacrifices, including the loss of human life. In order to accomplish this task, all Member States must render unswerving support to the people of Namibia through the South West Africa People's Organiza- tion, their authentic representative. 65. Furthermore, Member States must not only continue to render assistance to Namibians outside the Territory and to prepare them for the effective assumption of the tasks of independence, but they must equally continue to mobilize international support to press for South Africa's military withdrawal from the Territory. 66. On this question of southern Africa, our statement could not be complete without including mention of the invidious and repressive regime of South Africa and its impact on the factors of decolonization in the areas I have already mentioned. 67. It is my delegation's firm conviction that the only effective way that South Africa can be made to respond positively to the will of the world community is through increased political, economic, cultural and social pressure. It is imperative, therefore, that all Member States, in particular the Western countries, should manifest a genuine willingness to apply all measures and decisions adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly against the racist apartheid regime. In particular, it is my delegation's hope that the Western countries will respond favourably to the demand for the cessation of their economic involve- ment, whether State or corporate. Such economic involve- 'ment, we must insist, has a deleterious effect on the realization ofthe aspirations of the deprived majority. 68. There can be no genuine international peace and security in a world that is characterized by a denial of the basic fundamental prirlciple of self-determination, which has enabled many States Members of this Organization to take their rightful places in the community ofnations. 70. The PRESID~NT: The next speaker is the represen- tative of Trinidad and Tobago, who will introduce draft resolutions A/32/L.35, A/32/L.36 and A/32/L.37.

The Chairman of the Special Committee presented just a short while ago to the Assembly a review of some of the principal developments in the field of decolonization and drew attention to the major problems that lie ahead. In so doing, . he has greatly simplified my tas~ of introducing the three draft resolutions contained in documents A/32/L.35, A/32/L.36 and A/32/L.37, as these three draft resolutions reflect both the developments and the problems that he has so clearly outlined. 72. While there has been encouraging progress made in the decolonization process since the Assembly last considered this item, there still remain pockets of resistance to the fulfIlment of the goals of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. This is particularly so in the case of southern Africa, where the peoples of Namibia and Zimbabwe continue to be denied the right to self-determination and independence. More- over, the denial of this right has been compounded by overt racism, so that colonialism and racism have become one and the same form of oppression. The.long, arduous and bitter struggle of the peoples of southern Africa to achieve human dignity demands the full and unstinting support of the United Nations. 73. In this regard, the General Assembly, in its resolution 31/145 of 17 December 1976, approved the holding of the International Conference in Support of the Peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia under the auspices of the United Nations and the OAU. That Conference, which was held at Maputo, Mozambique, from 16 to 21 May 1977, proved to be a highly effective instrument for arousing world public opinion in support of the struggle of the peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia for self-determination, freedom and independence against the repressive colonialist and racist domination of their countries by minority regimes. 74. Draft resolution A/32/L.35 deals with the results of the Maputo Conference. The fact that more than 80 States have joined in sponsoring the draft resolution is not only, I believe, an indication of the great success of the Con- ference, but also a demonstration of the tremendous support and commitment from the international com- munity to the struggle of the peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia to attain their freedom and independence. 75. The draft resolution approves the report of the Maputo Conference and invites all States, the specialized agencies and other organizations to accord priority to the 76. The successful outcome of the Maputo Conference was due in no small measure to the unstinted co-operation of the Government and people of Mozambique. This has been recognized in the draft resolution, which expresses the Assembly's profound gratitude to the Government and people of Mozambique for their contribution to the success of the Conference. Gratitude is also expressed to the DAU. 77. Finally, the Secretary-General is requested to effect the widest possible dissemination of the accomplishments of the Conference, and the Special Committee and the Council for Namibia are requested to follow closely the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action. 78. Draft resolution A/32/L.36, sponsored by 58 States, takes htto account the Maputo Declaration and Programme of Action as well as the Lagos Declaration for Action against Apartheid,3 adopted by the World Conference for Action against Apartheid, held at Lagos from 22 to 26 August 1977. 79. The draft resolution condemns the continued repres- sion of millions of Africans in Namibia and Zimbabwe and is highly critical ofthose States which defiantly continue to collaborate with the Government of South Africa, parti- cularly in the nuclear and military fields, and with the illegal minority regime in Southern Rhodesia. 80. The draft resolution affIrms that the continuation of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations, the exploita- tion by foreign interests of economic and human resources and the waging of colonial wars to suppress the national liberation movements are actions that are incompatible with the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and 3 See Report of the World Conference for Action against Apartheid (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.77.XIV.2), chap. X. 81. Draft resolution A/32/L.37 deals exclusively with the dissemination of information on decolonization. This draft resolution highlights the importance of an informed public information process in making the world at large more aware of all aspects of the evils and dangers of colonialism and of the determined efforts of colonial peoples to achieve self-determination and independence. 82. The draft resolution requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary steps, having regard to the suggestions of the Special Committee, to publicize information on decolo- nization and to give widespread publicity to the com- mendable efforts of the United Nations in this field. 83. .I should like, on behalf of the sponsors of this draft resolution, to take this opportunity of once again express- ing to the Secretariat, and the Office of Public Information in particular, our deep appreciation of the continuing efforts they have been making to publicize the role of the United Nations in the field of decolonization, thus assisting in bringing closer the day when colonialism will be erad\cated from the face of the earth.