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A/RES/2145(XXI) GA

Question of South West Africa : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

21
Session
114
Yes
2
No
3
Abstentions
Draft symbol Amended by A/L.488
Adopted symbol A/RES/2145(XXI)
P5 Positions
Russia United States United Kingdom ~ China France ~
UN Document A/RES/2145(XXI) ↗

Vote Recorded VoteA/PV.1454 Oct. 27, 1966

1 surprising vote — country whose ideal point predicts the opposite position.

— Abstain (3)
✗ No (2)
Absent (2)
✓ Yes (114)
Full text of resolution OCR extract — may contain errors
2 General Assembly-Twenty-first Session ---------------------------------------- ---- 2136 (XXI). Admission of Botswana to memher• ship in the United Nations The General Assembly, H aving received the recommendation of the Security Council of 14 October 1966 that Botswana should be admitted to membership in the United Nations,3 H aving considered the application for membership of Botswana, 4 Decides to admit Botswana to membership in the United N ations. 1444th plenary meeting, 17 October 1966. 2137 (XXI). Admission of Lesotho to memher- ship in the United Nations The General Assembly, H aving received the recommendation of the Security Council of 14 October 1966 that Lesotho should be admitted to membership in the United Nations,5 Having considered the application for membership of Lesotho,8 Decides to admit Lesotho to membership in the United Nations. 1444th plenary meeting, 17 October 1966. 2145 (XXI). Question of South W est Africa The General Assembly, Reaffirming the inalienable right of the people of South West Africa to freedom and independence in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 De- cember 1960 and earlier Assembly resolutions con- cerning the Mandated Territory of South W est Africa, Recalling the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 11 July 1950,7 accepted by the General Assembly in its resolution 449 A (V) of 13 December 1950, and the advisory opinions of 7 June 19558 and 1 June 19569 as well as the judgement of 21 December 1962,1º which have established the fact that South Africa continues to have obligations under the Mandate which was entrusted to it on 17 December 1920 and that the United Nations as the successor to the League of Nations has supervisory powers in respect of South W est Africa, Gravely concerned at the situation in the Mandated Territory, which has seriously deteriorated following 8 Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-first Session, Annexes, agenda item 20, document A/6469. 4 A/6453. For the printed text oí this document, see Official Records of the Security Council, Twenty-first Year, Supp/ement for July, Augu.st and September 1966, document S/7518. 11 Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-first Session, Annexes, agenda item 20, document A/6470. 6 A/6454. For the printed text oí this document, see Official Records of the Security Council, Twenty-first Year, SuPPlement for October, November and December 1966, document S/7534. 1 Jnternational status of South West Africa, Advisory Opin- ion: I.C.J. Reports 1950, p. 128. 8 South W est AfricCJ-Voting procedure, Ad·visory Opinion of /une 7th, 1955: I.C.J. Reports 1955, p. 67. 9 Admissibility of hearings of petitioners by the Committee on South West A/rica, Advisory Opinion of /une 1st, 1956: I.C.J. Reports 1956, p. 23. l0South West Africa Cases (Ethiopia v. South Africa; Li- beria v. South Africa), Preliminary Objections, Judgment of 21 December 1962: I.C.J. Reports 1962, p. 319. the j udgement of the International Court of J ustice of 18 July 1966,11 H aving studied the reports of the various committees which had been established to exercise the supervisory functions of the United Nations over the administration of the Mandated Territory of South West Africa, C onvinccd that the administration of the Mandated Territory by South Africa has been conducted in a manner contrary to the Mandate, the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Reaffirming its resolution 2074 (XX) of 17 December 1965, in particular paragraph 4 thereof which con- dernned the policies of apartheid and racial discrimina- tion practised by the Government of South Africa in South W est Africa as constituting a crime against humanity, Emphasizing that the problem of South West Africa is an issue falling within the terms of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), Considering that ali the efforts of the United Nations to induce the Government of South Africa to fulfil its obligations in respect of the administration of the Mandated Territory and to ensure the well-being and security of the indigenous inhabitants have been of no avail, Mindfttl of the obligations of the United Nations towards the people of South W est Africa, N oting with deep concern the explosive situation which exists in the southern region of Africa, Affirming its right to take appropriate action in the matter, including the right to revert to itself the administration of the Mandated Territory, l. Reaffirms that the provisions of General As- sembly resolution 1514 (XV) are fully applicable to the people of the Mandated Territory of South West Africa and that, therefore, the people of South West Africa have the inalienable right to self-determination, free- dom and independence in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations; 2. Reaffirms further that South West Africa is a territory having international status and that it shall maintain this status until it achieves independence; 3. Declares that South Africa has failed to fulfil its obligations in respect of the administration of the Mandated Territory and to ensure the moral and material well-being and security of the indigenous in- habitants of South W est Africa and has, in fact, disavowe<l the Mandate; 4. Decides that the Mandate conferred upon His Britannic Majesty to be exercised on his behalf by the Government of the Union of South Africa is there- fore terminated, that South Africa has no other right to administer the Territory and that henceforth South W est Africa comes under the direct responsibility of the United Nations; 5. Resolves that in these circumstances the United Nations must discharge those responsibilities with respect to South W est Africa; 6. Establishes an Ad H oc Committee for South W est Africa--composed of fourteen Member States to be designated by the President of the General As- sembly-to recommend practica! means by which South W est Africa should be administered, so as to enable 11 South West Africa, Second Phai.se, Judgment, J.C./. Reports 1966, p. 6. Resolutions adopted without reference to a Main Committee 3 the people of the Territory to exercise the right of self-determination and to achieve independence, and to report to the General Assembly at a special session as soon as possible and in any event not later than April 1967; 7. Calls upan the Government of South Africa forth- with to refrain and desist from any action, constitu- tional, administrative, political or otherwise, which will in any manner whatsoever alter or tend to alter the present international status of South W est Africa; 8. Calls the attention of the Security Council to the present resolution ; 9. Requests all States to extend their whole-hearted co-operation and to render assistance in the implementa- tion of the present resolution; 10. Requests the Secretary-General to provide ali the assistance necessary to implement the present reso- h,ition and to enable the Ad H oc Committee for South W est Africa to perform its duties. * 1454th plenary meeting, 27 October 1966. • * The President of the General Asscmbly, in pursuance of paragraph 6 of the above resolution, dcsignatcd the members of the Ad Hoc Committee for South West Africa.12 The Ad Hoc Committee will be composed of the following Member States: CAN ADA, CHILE, CzECHOSLOVAKIA, ETHIOPIA, FINLAND, !TALY, ]APAN, MEXICO, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, SENEGAL, UNION OF SOVIET SocIALIST REPUBLICS, UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 2146 (XXI). Petitions concerning South West Aírica The General Assembly, Bearing in mind the special responsibilities of the United Nations with regard to South West Africa, N oting that the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples has received and examined forty-four peti- tions concerning South W est Africa, in accordance with paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 1805 (XVII) of 14 December 1962 and paragraph 8 (a) of Assembly resolution 1899 (XVIII) of 13 N ovember 1963, N oting further that these petitions relate, in ter alia, to the establishment of military bases in the Territory of South W est Africa, the situation of refugees from the Territory, political organizations, the shooting, arrest and deportation of política! leaders, the ejection of Africans from urban areas, the implementation of the recommendations of the Odendaal Commission, 13 the situation in Ovamboland, labour conditions in the Territory, the judgement of the International Court of Justice of 18 July 196614 and the future of the Territory, l. N ates that the Special Committee on the Situa- tion with regard to the Implementation of the Declara- tion on the Granting of Independence to Colonial 12 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty- first Session, Plenary Meetings, 1471st meeting. 13 Commission of Enquiry into South West Africa Affairs, established in 1962 by the Republic of South Africa under the chairmanship of Mr. F. H. Odendaal. 14 South West A/rica, Second Phase, Judgment, I.C.J. Reports 1966, p. 6. Countries and Peoples has taken these petitions into account in its consideration oí the question oí South W est Africa ; 2. Draws the attention of the petitioners concerned to the report of the Special Committee concerning the Territory of South West Africa111 and to the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-first session on the question of South West Africa, as well as the reports of the Secretary-General relating to the Territory.16 1454th plenary meeting, 27 October 1966. 2147 (XXI). Appointment of the Secretary- General of the United Nations The General Assembly, Acting in accordance with the recommendation con- tained in Security Council resolution 227 ( 1966) of 28 October 1966, and pending further consideration of the present ítem, Extends the appointment of U Thant as Secretarj- General of the United Nations until the end of tne twenty-first regular session of the General Assembly. 1455th plenary meeting, 1 November 1966. 2156 (XXI). Report of the lnternational Atomic Energy Agency The General Assembly Takes note of the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency to the General Assembly for the year 1965-1966.17 1474th plenary meeting, 22 November 1966. 2159 (XXI). Representation of China in the United Nations The General Assembly, Recalling the recommendation contained in its resolu- tion 396 (V) of 14 December 1950 that, whenever more than one authority claims to be the government entitled to represent a Member State in the United Nations and this question becomes the subject of controversy in the United Nations, the question should be con- sidered in the light of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the circumstances of each case, Recalling further its decision in resolution 1668 (XVI) of 15 December 1961, in accordance with Article 18 of the Charter, that any proposal to change the representation of China is an important question, which, in General Assembly resolution 2025 (XX) of 17 November 1965, was affirmed as remaining valid, Affirms again that this decision remains valid. 1481st plenary meeting, 29 November 1966. 15 Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-first Session, Annexes, addendum to agenda item 23 (A/6300/Rev.l), chapter IV. 16 A/6332 and Add.1. 17 Annual report of the Board of Governors to the General Conference, 1 hily 1965-30 June 1966 (Vienna, July 1966), and supplementary report; transmitted to the Members of the General Assembly by notes of the Secreta:ry-General (A/6345 and Add.l).
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