S/PV.1654 Security Council

I should like to start by talking about you, Mr. President, because this is the first time that I have spoken during your term of office. I should like to congratulate you most heartily on your assumption of the Presidency, and also to express the delight of my delegation at seeing you in that office because of your qualities, which are known to everyone. During the short period when the Security Council was meeting in Addis 8. The fmal position, as shown by the report itself, is this. Parts I and II and part III, paragraph 7, of the report have * See Off&I Records of’ the Security Council, nuentymseventh Yeur, Suppbment for April, May and June 1972. 9. At this juncture, may I be permitted to give a general idea of part III of the report, namely the recommendations and suggestions, which has been accepted by all representatives except the United Kingdom representative. Paragraph 7 suggests giving the Committee a title relevant to the subject of sanctions against Southern Rhodesia, since its present title does not give any indication of its relation to Southern Rhodesia. Some members, if I may be allowed to say so, spoke rather romantically about the new title in relation to the old one. However, the suggested name relates the Committee to Southern Rhodesia in the minds of those who may not be well mformed. 10. The recommendations and suggestions contained in paragraphs 8-24 inclusive reflect the general desire of the Committee to find ways and means by which the implementation of sanctions may be ensured. They also suggest and recommend possible terms of reference, as well as some measures designed to ensure the effectiveness of the work of the Committee. 11. Ever since I joined the Committee early in March of this year, I have become convinced, like many of its members, that its method of work, its self-imposed restraint beyond the limits of the mandate, leave much to be desired. 12. Let me be more specific. On receiving any information on suspected cases of violation of sanctions, a colourless note, after prior approval of the Committee and by consensus, is sent bjr the Secretariat to the parties concerned with the goods or with the transport. The note requests the parties concerned-in that case the Governments-to clear themselves of this suspicion. Invariably, the parties concerned are taken at their own word as innocent of a breach of sanctions. They may even produce documentation which can be reasonably suspected of having been falsified as, for example, with the Governments of Portugal or South Africa. 13. To cut a long story short, at best it takes months, and sometimes years, to prove or disprove the suspicions in the minds of the Committee regarding a particular issue. The result is that the illegal regime of Ian Smith, except in matters of capital equipment and spare parts and perhaps credits from abroad, is conducting an appreciable amount of illicit commercial exchange which has enabled it to survive up to now. 14. In the face of this situation the Committee was not even in a position to inform public opinion of the existence of valid cases of evasions of sanctions as a factor that might discourage the offending countries. It does not even have a system of keeping itself informed about reliable statistics of trade or about inspection of suspected goods from Southern Rhodesia, to say nothing of the difficulty it has, under its present terms, in enlisting the co-operation of non-governmental organizations which have international standing and influence in the world of trade. 16. It will be noted that these delegations maintain that the Committee should recommend to the Security Council condemnation of the United States for violating the sanctions. There are others that maintain that sanctions should be extended to include Portugal and South Africa in addition to condemnation of those two countries, 17. Side by side with the aforementioned group of delegations, there is another group of delegations that generally agrees in principle with the representatives of Guinea, Somalia and the Sudan and those who share their views but argues that the contents of part IV are beyond the mandate of the Committee and that objections which had been raised before to their substance or procedure or fo the competence of the Committee in matters reserved to the Security Council remain still valid. One delegation in this group has expressed sympathy and support in principle for the objective and substance of part IV of the report but reserved its position and did not associate itself with it. 18. I have ventured to go into these details of the report in the hope that this expose will throw enough light on the principles invoked in the preamble of the draft resolution which will be before the members in due course and on the operative peragraphs contained therein. In consideration of the desire of the African Group in the United Nations, as explained by the members of the Council during those consultations, the draft resolution in toto is an attempt to cover only the bare subject of sanctions and the related recommendations and suggestions in part III. The political side of the whole Rhodesian question will come at a later date to this Council. The members of the Council have been consulted informally and we hope that when the draft resolution is submitted at a later time it will meet with the agreement of all. 19. That ends my intervention as Chairman of the sanctions Committee, and I reserve the right of my delegation to speak again when the draft resolution is presented. 26. In this connexion we cannot but view with great concern the repeated violations of sanctions by some nations and the lack of co-operation in implementation by several others. The open defiance by Portugal and South Africa is an even more serious matter requiring urgent action. The dilution of the effectiveness of sanctions which has been caused by all this is clear from the fourth report of the Committee.i The trade figures of Southern Rhodesia themselves establish that it could not have fared as well as it has done since sanctions were imposed without the cooperation, direct or indirect, of many Governments. It would nevertheless be wrong to suppose that sanctions have had no effects. Apart from the economic effects, which are important, they have demonstrated that international opinion is determined to deny any respectability to the illegal regime in Southern Rhodesia and stands behind the rights of the Zimbabwe people,

Mr. President, as I am speaking for the first time under your presidency, I should like at the outset to associate myself with the congratulations and tributes already extended to you by the representative of India at earlier meetings. My delegation would like also to join in the welcome to the Secretary-General. 22. We are considering today the special report of the Committee established in pursuance’ of Security Council resolution 253 (1968) on Southern Rhodesia. We have noted that this discussion is to be limited to the special report of the Committee and not to go into the background of the situation in Southern Rhodesia or the recent developments in that area. While abiding by these limits, we feel constrained to point out that it is difficult to separate the work of this Committee and its special report from the context of its political environment and the objectives of implementing the inalienable rights of the people of Zimbabwe which are enshrined in various United Nations resolutions. It is difficult to separate means from ends. Sanctions were decided on as a means for achieving the end, which is freedom and independence for the people of Southern Rhodesia. Any consideration of making sanctions more effective is meaningful only when related to their ultimate goal. 27. We hope, therefore, that sanctions would be strengthened and universally and compulsorily applied with sincerity and scrupulousness by all countries. India has so applied them from the outset and even before, We feel indeed that the scope of sanctions should be extended and, apart from commercial transactio’ns, the boycott of the illegal regime should be applied to communications, passports and postal services as well as cultural, social and other activities. In this context it would be useful if the administering Power could also decide to make sanctions permanent rather than extend them on a year to year basis. It would also be useful if the Secretariat could be asked to prepare an up-to-date list of existing legislation passed by various countries for implementing sanctions. We feel that these could contribute further to ensuring the effectiveness of the sanctions. 23. On earlier occasions the Indian delegation has emphasized the necessity of strengthening and widening the sanctions against Southern Rhodesia, of publicizing violations, of preventing leakages and of strengthening to that end the machinery of the Committee established in pursuance of resolution 253 (1968). Therefore we supported resolution 314 (1972), which inter alia requested the Committee to prepare a report, which is before US today. We have taken our due part in the preparation of this report. I may add that this is the second occasion India has been a member of this Committee, as it had the privilege of serving as its Chairman during the first three months of its existence in 1968. 28. It is in the light of these considerations that my delegation will consider any proposals put forward with regard to the report which we are now considering.

I thank the representative of India for the friendly comments which he addressed to me.

My delegation has considered with all due attention the special report which has been submitted to the Council by the Committee which was established pursuant to resolution 253 (1968). Furthermore, we were very interested to hear the introduction made by the representative of Sudan, who directed the work of the Committee with skill and devotion to which I should like to pay a tribute. 24. The Indian delegation has supported all the recommendations, suggestions and proposals contained in parts III and IV of the report. These proposals were worked out after long negotiations and there were a number of positive elements which were excluded in the process. Nevertheless, we feel that the implementation of the proposals now contained in the report would contribute to increasing the relevance and the effectiveness of the Committee’s work. 31. In submitting this document to the Council, the Committee has fulfilled the terms of reference which were given to it in paragraph 6 of resolution 314 (1972) adopted on 28 February last. 25. It is a matter of regret that some delegations in the Committee could not agree to the proposals in part IV of the report and that one delegation entered a blanket reservation on the entire report. The first of the proposals contained in part IV emphasizes the relationship between means and objectives to which I have already referred. The 1 official Records of the Security Council, Twenty-sixth year, Special Sl~pplemen f No. 2 and Cowigendum and Special Supplemcljt No, ZA. 33. My delegation welcomes the report of the Committee with a satisfaction all the greater since, unlike the fourth report which was drafted last year, it contains recommendaions and suggestions which, although they are not unanimously supported, have at least been supported by a very broad majority. 34. For its part, my delegation associates itself with the recommendations and suggestions which appear in part III of the report. However, one might have expected that this chapter would be presented in the order which was naturally dictated by paragraph 6 of resolution 3 14 (1972). In fact, it is not without some interest that the self-same recommendation or suggestion should be understood as a means to ensure the implementation of sanctions rather than as relating to the terms of reference of the Committee or to’other measures to ensure the effectiveness of its work. My delegation regrets the ambiguity which surrounds that part of the report, not simply because we are anxious to be logical, but because certain recommendations and suggestions have a different purpose according to whether they are regarded as ways of applying sanctions or as links to the mandate of the Committee. 35. Furthermore, the fact that the Committee was able to agree almost unanimously on a number of proposals does not mean that all the difficulties have been resolved. That has not occurred. On the one hand, the’ delegations of Guinea, Somalia and Sudan submitted additional proposals on which the Committee was unable to agree. On the other, the Committee was divided on the extent of its mandate, which gave rise to fresh controversy. 36. Regarding the African proposals which are described in part IV of the report, my delegation associated itself with the reservations which were entered in that connexion by other members of the Committee. Our objections related to the very substance of certain proposals. In the case of others, reasons of principle prevented us from accepting them. This is true of those which appeared to us to be purely within the terms of reference of the Security Council. 37. The first proposal, which is described in paragraph 25, belongs to this latter category. We rejected it because it was alien to the mandate set out in resolution 314 (1972). But we do not object to the Council, whose prerogative it is, reafirming the inalienable rights of the people of Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, at the same time as it reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle which they are waging for their freedom and independence. 38. We can also agree with the Council requesting States which continue to maintain economic and other relations with Southern Rhodesia to put an end to that immediately, as is stipulated in the first part of the second proposal, spelt out in paragraph 26 of the report. For its part, my country 40. I must now refer to the debate which was once again provoked by the extent of the mandate given to the Committee in Council resolutions 253 (1968) and 277 (1970). 41. In our opinion, the Committee can only play an auxiliary role. Even if the Council would wish it so, it would not be free to delegate to a subordinate body #he responsibilities which the Charter has made incumbent on it alone. Furthermore, it would not be useful either for the Committee to be simply a faithful reflection of the Council and to be competent, as the Council is, in relation to all aspects of the question of Southern Rhodesia. Conceived as it was to function as a standing body, the Security Council, unlike the General Assembly whose activities are intermittent, does not need organs to exercise its powers in its name and its place. 42. Finally, the Committee should not allow itself to be distracted from its essential task, which is to verify the implementation of sanctions, by inquiries about problems of method, however fundamental they may be. It would be unfortunate if after four years of existence the Committee were to continue endless controversy which has already excessively delayed its work, 43. I should like to conclude my statement my recalling how necessary it is for all States convered by resolution 253 (1968) to apply fully the sanctions against Southern Rhodesia. For its part my country has complied with its obligations and will continue to do so ‘as long as the sanctions remain in force. The attitude of some States which violate sanctions can only be a source of regret to us. 44. I should like to reserve my right to speak again when we have had the draft resolution presented to us.

We understand that this is a sort of partial, interim dealing by the Security Council with one aspect of the Rhodesian item on its agenda. Our task for t0day is a particular and specific one: to adopt a resolution through which the Council not only takes cognizance of or generally passes a favourable opinion on the special report of the Committee established in purseante of Security Council resolution 253 (1968), but also concretely adopts the new measures recommended by the special report and adds them to the already existing measures for the effective implementation of sanctions against Southern Rhodesia. 46. As for the over-all and most important Political context of the Southern Rhodesian situation, especially 52. The Committee’s request in paragraph 19 of the report to “all Government’s to exercise closer scrutiny of such documents and to conduct an actual examination of cargoes to ensure that they are not of Southern Rhodesian origin”, and its decision recorded in paragraph 20 to resume its studies concerning the examination of commercial documents in view of their falsification on a large scale can also greatly enhance the effective implementation of sanctions. 47. Before going more specifically into the contents of the special report, I should like here to compliment the Ambassador of the Sudan, Mr. Rahmatalla Abdulla, Chairmm of the Committee established in pursuance of Security Council resolution 2.53 (1968), for the excellent work the Committee has done under his able, wise and patient chairmanship in producing a report of substance with substantive recommendations and suggestions which, if introduced into the living practice of all States, will constitute a significant contribution in our efforts for the implementation of sanctions. 53. As for paragraph 22, citing the relevant subparagraphs of resolutions 253 (1968) and 277 (1970), it is our understanding that the scope of the Committee’s responsibilities extends to all political aspects of the situation in and around Southern Rhodesia that affect the implementation of sanctions and not merely their technical aspects. 48. In this connexion we regard it as the only natural and constructive way for the Security Council to approve all the recommendations and suggestions that are contained in section III of the special report. Let me briefly mention just some of the recommended measures which in my delegation’s opinion are very important. 54. Lastly, let me just point out at this stage that we also strongly support the proposals of three African delegations, contained in part XV of the special report, regarding them as necessary measures for the implementation of the aforementioned recommendations and suggestions. 55. For these reasons, at this juncture in dealing with this problem, we shall support any proposal to endorse the special report of the Committee on sanctions and its main recommendations and measures. 49. In paragraph 7 there is a recommendation concerning the change of the name of the Committee to one which would reflect its nature and its task more adequately than the existing name. Paragraphs 9 and 10 stress the need for the Committee to have information from more Member States and for them to be prompt in reporting cases of suspected sanctions evasions to the Committee, as well as the usefulness of information from intergovernmental organizations and specialized agencies on a continuing basis. Furthermore, the prerogatives of the Committee in dealing with non-governmental international organizations and persons competent for the purpose, in accordance with rule 39. of the provisional rules of procedure of the Security Councif, are outlined. Governments are urged to provide information or other forms of assistance and co-operation from all suitable sources in their territories and also to give prompt attention to requests for information from the Committee. 56, Mr, FARAH (Somalia): I should first like to extend the appreciation of my delegation to my friend and colleague the representative of the Sudan for the excellent manner in which he presented the special report and also for the excellent leadership which he gave the Committee established in pursuance of Security Council resolution 253 (1968) during the marathon meetings which it held earlier this year. 57. When my delegation addressed the Security Council in February on this question of sanctions, I pointed out that it was my Government’s view that, while sanctions alone would not bring a speedy end to the rebellion that had taken place in Southern Rhodesia, they were an important measure which had to be maintained with all the vigour at the disposaLof the United Nations in order that pressures would be maintained on the illegal r4gime in Southern Rhodesia so that it was forced to struggle for economic survival and forced into a position of insecurity; At that time I also emphasized on behalf of my Government that sanctions must be preserved and intensified to maintain the illegal rigime’s present international isolation and to sustain a world view of the unacceptability of the Smith regime I If there were no sanctions the drift towards recognizing it a’e jure would follow as surely as day followed night. Therefore my delegation appealed to the Security council at that time to continue to act in concert on the basis of the 50. Circulation to all members of information from published sources, including press reports, regarding SUSpetted violations of sanctions and consideration by the Committee of any appropriate action that might be required has already proved to be a very useful practice of the Committee. Setting the Committee’s meetings to take place not less than twice a month, and in urgent cases at the request of any member, and establishing a system of periodic reminders and appropriate measures to ensure 2Rhodesia: Report of the Commission on Rhodesian Opinion under the Chairmanship of the Right Honourable the Lord Pearce (London, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1972), Cmnd. 4964. 58. Speaking of human rights,’ although it is not really connected with the report now before the Council one cannot help mentioning the distressing report that appeared in today’s issue of The New York Times concerning the ruthless persecution of Africans in Southern Rhodesia by the regime’s evicting them from their ancestral land, the introduction of measures of apartheid and ruthless racial discrimination. All this causes us a great deal of anxiety and I trust that when we do consider the question of Southern Rhodesia in the light of the application of sanctions delegations not only will vote for the continuation of these sanctions but also will endeavour to ensure that the political will to enforce sanctions continues. 59. On the question of sanctions we have a whole pyramid of resolutions, and yet we know that the regime in Southern Rhodesia has been able to maintain itself economically and is doing so with the co-operation of Member States of this Organization. 60. As my colleagues informed the Council, it is the intention of the African Group to take up the political aspects of Southern Rhodesia in September and we hope that by then Member States that are still giving only marginal support to the implementation of sanctions and to other aspects of Security Council resolutions dealing with the putting down of the rebellion will certainly modify their attitudes and give their full co-operation. 61. The report before the Council, in the opinion of my delegation, stresses three important measures. First, the need for Member States, intergovernmental agencies and non-governmental organizations to provide the United Nations with information on cases of suspected violations. Hitherto, the Committee had taken cognizance only of reports which had been submitted to it by Member States and those were far too few. Indeed, the main provider of information has been the United Kingdom. Yet we know that there are many countries with economic interests in southern Africa, with an economic intelligence system at their disposal, that know quite well what is going on in the area but are not prepared to give their co-operation to the United Nations so that we would at least have at our disposal an adequate amount of information upon which to work, I am glad that the Committee has now entered into relations with intergovernmental organizations such as the Organization, of African Unity and has invited that organization to provide it with all relevant information regarding the sanctions and methods for improving the effectiveness of sanctions, The same is true of the relationship which has now been established between the United Nations and the Commonwealth Sanctions Committee. 62. It has also been a source of satisfaction to my delegation to note that the recommendation contained in paragraph 11 has now enabled non-governmental organiza- 63. The third part of the report touches on s Very important aspect, namely, that any documentation coming out of southern Africa, particularly from the Portuguese, controlled Territories of Mozambique and Angola and Irrwn South Africa, “in respect of products and goods which a~ also produced by Southern Rhodesia,should be conside& prima facie suspect” [S/10632, para, 191. This is new sary in view of the fact that Portugal and South Africa ham openly refused to lend their co-operation to the United Nations. Of course, the question will arise-in fact, it is mentioned in one of the proposals made by the delegations of Guinea, Somalia and the Sudan in part IV of the report, paragraph 27-that it is time that the Council now decided what action it should take against those countries in view of their refusal to co-operate with the United Nations en a mandatory decision of the Security Council. 64. If this Council is in earnest and is serious in its decisions it is difficult to conceive how it hopes fo win respect for those decisions and to make them effective ifit continues to act as if Portugal and South Africa had a special status in this Organization, as if they were above international law, above the decisions of this Council, aboe-e Article 25 ‘of the Charter. Of course the action to be taken against Portugal and South Africa will certainly be brought into focus in September when the political aspects of tit matter are discussed by the Security Council in e~fe~so. 65. The final observation I have to make on the report relates to the fact that in its recommendations &be Committee now recognizes the need for the employment of experts in various fields, Paragraph 20, which deals with “the large-scale falsification of commercial documents for goods originating from Southern Rhodesia”, which is indeed the root of our troubles, recommends that expert adVice should be provided ‘40 assist in the examination and devising of additional measures for preventing the circumvention of sanctions.” Hitherto, our Committee had not allowed itself this facility. We were a Committee Of diplomats and not of technocrats and unable at tics to understand the technical implications of the problem, 66, Paragraph 24 of the report addresses itself to the most important question “of the insurance of all cargoes of Southrn Rhodesian origin and of all cargoes destined for Southern Rhodesia together with the question Of the insurance of ships, aircraft, road and rail transport iwckd in the conveyance of those cargoes”. Shippers and suppliers would think twice if insurance companies treated ~ caT@ destined for Southern Rhodesia or coming from Sontheffl Rhodesia as contraband. I am glad that the Committee 70. Therefore, if there is no objection, the Council will adjourn until 3.30 this afternoon.

I still reserve my right to intervene on behalf of my delegation on the question under consideration. 3ut since there are no speakers at present, and because of certain developments in our consultations, I The meetingroseat I.1Op.m. HOW TO OBTAIN UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATIONS United Nations publications may be obtained from bookstores and distributors throughout the world. Consult your bookstore or write to: United Nations, Sales Section, New York or Geneva. COMMENT SE PROCURER LES PUBLICATIONS DES NATIONS UNIES Los publications des Nations Unies sont en vente dans les librairies et lea agences deposit&es du monde entier, Informez-vous aupres de votre libraire ou adressex-vows A : Nations Unies, Section des ventes, New York ou Geneve. ICAlC IIOJIYWXTL MBAAHHJI OPI’AHIZSAIJIHH QIL’LEARHEHHHX HAU(MH H3~auun Oprannsauwa 06~emuienubix Haunti MOWHO mynnTb a KHNXHhIX Mara- 3max w aremrcTaax a0 acex paRonax hfnpa. HaBOANTe cnpnsnu 06 M3naMuex n sar.ueM KHIiH(HOM Mara3nne unu nnmmre no anpecy : Opramisanrrrr OdZeANweHHbIX Haqnir, CeKuMn no npoRaHce mA&HHR, HEW-Ffop~ wnn Weuesn. COMO CONSEGUIR PUBLICACIONES DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS Las publicaciones de las Naciones Unidas e&n en venta en librerfas y caaas diatribuidoras en todas partes de1 mundo. Consulte a au librero o dirfjase a: Nacionee Unidas, Section de Ventas, Nueva York o Ginebra. Litho in United Nations, New York Price: $U.S. 1.00 (or equivalent in other currencies)