A/RES/2647(XXV) GA

72 General Auembly-Twenty-fifth Seeeion em Rhodesia have failed owing mainly to the obstinate non-compliance of South Africa, Portugal and other States, contrary to their obligations under the Charter, Aware that many States, in flagrant disregard of previous resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, continue to maintain political, com- mercial, military, economic, social and other relations with the Government of South Africa and with the illegal white racist minority regimes in southern Africa, Noting that the year 1970, the twenty-fifth anni- versary of the United Nations, marks a significant milestone in the life of the United Nations and that the year 1971 has been proclaimed the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimina- tion, Welcoming the entry into force of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Taking note of the report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 8 submitted under article 9 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Reiterating its firm determination to bring about the complete elimination of racial discrimination and racism, which are abhorrent to the conscience and sense of justice of mankind, 1. Reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of all op- pressed peoples everywhere, and in particular those of South Africa, Namibia, Southern Rhodesia and Ter- ritories under Portuguese colonial domination, to obtain racial equality by all possible means; 2. Calls for increased and continued moral, and in particular material, support to all peoples under colonial and alien domination, struggling for the realiza- tion of their right to self-determination and for the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination; 3. Condemns the unholy alliance between South Africa, Portugal and the illegal regime in Southern Rhodesia, designed to suppress the struggle of the peoples of southern Africa against racism, apartheid, economic exploitation and colonial domination; 4. Declares that any State whose official policy or practice is based on racial discrimination, such as apartheid, contravenes the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and should there- fore have no place in the United Nations; 5. Condemns the activities of those States which, by political, economic and military collaboration with the racist regimes of southern Africa, enable and encourage those regimes in the enforcement and perpetuation of their policy of apartheid and other forms of racial dis- crimination; 6. Calls upon all those Governments which still maintain diplomatic, consular, commercial, military, social and other relations with the Government of South Africa and other racist re$ffi1es in southern Africa to terminate such relations llllmediately in ac- cordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council; 1. Condemns the Government of the United King- dom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for its reluctance to bring down the illegal white minority regime in Southern Rhodesia, and calls upon that Government to take all the necessary steps to bring to an end the usurpation of the lawful rights of the people 8 Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 27 (A/8027). of Southern Rhodesia by the illegal re$lllle at present in Salisbury and to restore to them their political, social and economic rights in accordance with the fundamental principles of international law and of the Charter; 8. Welcomes the observance of 1971 as the Interna- tional Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, and urges all Governments, the spe- cialized agencies and all other organizations concerned to make renewed efforts to take effective and practical measures to this end; 9. Requests the Secretary-General, the specialized agencies and other organizations concerned to continue to undertake programmes and frojects designed to combat apartheid and all forms o racial discrimination and to publicize the evils of these policies; 10. Requests the Secretary-General to print and disseminate as widely as possible, for use during the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, the Special Study of Racial Dis- crimination in the Political, Economic, Social and Cul- tural Spheres4 prepared by the Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; 11. Urges all those States which are not yet parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to take steps to accede to or ratify it, as the case may be; 12. Urges all progressive forces within southern Africa, especially the youth, to intensify their struggle against the policy of apartheid and all other forms of racial discrimination; 13. Urges the mass media of information, par- ticularly during the International Year for Action to <;C?mb~t Racism and R~cial Discr";'lination, to pub- licize, independently and m co-operation with the Secre- tary-General, the evils of apartheid and all other forms of racial discrimination, thus contributing to the pro- motion of human rights and fundamental freedoms; 1~. Deci~es _to consider this item at its twenty-sixth session and invites the Secretary-General to submit a further progress report, based on information received from Governments, the specialized agencies and other international organizations, on the observance of the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and on the activities of United Nations organs to eliminate all forms of racial dis- crimination. 1915th plenary meeting, 30 November 1970. 2647 (XXV). Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination The General Assembly, Recalling that Member States pledged themselves solemnly under Article 1 of the Charter of the United ~ ations to promote and encourage respect for human nghts and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, Gravely concerned at the persistence of apartheid and other forms of racial discrimination which are an intolerable affront to the dignity of th; individual, Noting that disregard for fundamental human rights and manifestations of hostility or intolerance towards any race or distinct group of persons mdy create lasting 4 United Nations publication, Sales No.: E.71.XIV.2. Resolutions adopted on the reporta of the Third Committee 73 antagonisms and deep unrest in society, aggravated by the existence of conditions of economic and social inequality, Aware that discriminatory prejudices must be com- bated and eliminated by means of education and in- formation as well as by the adoption of positive legisla- tive or other measures designed to bring about a climate of understanding and co-operation among the various ethnic and cultural groups of society, Convinced that the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, which the General Assembly has proclaimed for the year 1971, will not achieve its objective unless effective measures are taken in all fields to combat attitudes and laws contrary to the principles of the Charter and the norms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Welcorr.ing the entry into force of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and noting with satisfaction the first report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 11 1. Solemnly reiterates its condemnation of all forms of racial discrimination wherever they may occur, and particularly of apartheid, as a flagrant contradiction of the spirit and the letter of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and deplores the persistence of such_ practices; 2. Appeals to the Governments of countries where forms of racial discrimination still persist and to the Governments which officially apply such policies as apartheid to take without delay all the legislative, educational and social measures necessary to end them and to ensure respect for human rights in accordance with the Charter; 3. Vehemently affirms the need for all men to be given an equal chance and to be enabled to live and work together in an atmosphere of mutual trust and tolerance, without discrimination and with full respect for the national and cultural identity of peoples or distinct ethnic groups; 4. Urges Member States to do their utmost to eliminate all racial discrimination in education, employ- ment, housing and other fields of community life, and to encourage the development of multiracial activities with a view to removing obstacles to understanding among the various racial groups; 5. Invites all peoples of the world and all men of goodwill to condemn unrelentingly the evils of racial policies and to disseminate all information calculated to combat such policies; 6. Invites countries which are not yet parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to take any steps necessary to ratify it or accede to it if possible in 1971, on the occasion of the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination; 1. Emphasizes the importantic- of the work being done by the United Nations, io particular the Com- mission on Human Rights and tl-ic Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, and by the speciafo:ed agencies, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Labour Organisa- tion, and the non-governmen',tl organizations asso-· r,'ofjicial Records of the Gene;,.' 1issembly, Twenty-fifth Session, Supplemem No. 17 { A/ll\11., ciated with their efforts towards the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination; 8. Reaffirms. its intention to take the opportunity of the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination to promote throughout the world social justice based on absolute respect for the dignity of the individual. 1915th plenary meeting, 30 November 1970. 2648 (XXV), Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination The General Assembly, Noting that the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination entered into force on 4 January 1969 and that, as at 22 October 1970, forty-four States had deposited their instruments of ratification or accession to the Con- vention, Noting also the meetings of the States parties to the Convention in 1969 and the election by them of the members of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in accordance with the provisions of article 8 of the Convention, Having received the report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 8 1. Stresses the significance, for the fulfilment of the objectives of the United Nations in the field of human rights, of the coming into force of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and of the bringing into being of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimina- tion, which was created by that Convention and which should play an effective role in the achievement of its purposes; 2. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimina- tion, submitted under article 9 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, on the first year of its activities; 3. Requests all States parties to the Convention to give full co-operation to the Committee on the Elimina- tion of Racial Discrimination in order that it may fulfil its mandate under the Convention. 1915th plenary meeting, 30 November 1970. 2649 (XXV). The importance of the universal realization of the right of peoples to self- determination and of the speedy granting of independence to colonial countries and peo• ples for the effective guarantee and observ• ance of human rights The General Assembly, Emphasizing the importance of the universal realiza- tion of the right of peoples to self-determination and of the speedy granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples for the effective guarantee and observance of human rights, Concerned that many peoples are still denied the right to self-determination and are still subject to colonial and alien domination, 6 fbid.

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