A/RES/2785(XXVI) GA

Resolutions adopted on the reports of the Third Committee 81 as well as to the mass media of information, in order to ensure the continuation of the world campaign against racial discrimination, bearing in mind that the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination should be considered as the opening year for a full decade of vigorous struggle against this evil, until the achievement of its total elimination. To that end, the General Assembly recommends, inter alia: (a) The discussion of this problem in all national and international conferences, especially in the fields of education, information, trade unions, etc.; ( b) The inculcation through education of children and youth in the spirit of human rights by the inclusion in the curricula of special and yearly programmes on the evils of racism and racial discrimination; ( c) The continuation of the programmes designated to be carried out during 1971, the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, and their de- velopment and updating, in order to intensify the efforts to combat racial discrimination; (d) The continuation of open moral support and the in- creasing of material aid to the peoples struggling against racial discrimination and apartheid; (e) The termination of all relations with the Government of South Africa and all other racist regimes; (/) Exerting every effort to bring about the full implemen- tation of all Security Council and General Assembly resolu- tions that reflect the world's resolve to end each and every case of discrimination and foreign exploitation; (g) The repeal of all laws and regulations which contrib- ute to the maintenance and propagation of racial discrimi- nation. IV 6. The General Assembly has requested the Secretary- General to submit a report on this subject to the Assembly at its twenty-seventh session, in which would be included re- ports of Governments on the above message. 2785 (XXVI). International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination The General Assembly, Firmly convinced that all forms of racial discrimina- tion are a total negation of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and that they militate against human progress, peace and justice, Recalling its resolutions 2446 (XXIII) of 19 De- cember 1968, 2544 (XXIV) of 11 December 1969, in which it designated the year 1971 as International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimina- tion, and 2646 (XXV) of 30 November 1970, in which it welcomed the observance of 1971 as the Inter- national Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and urged all Governments, the special- ized agencies and all other organizations concerned to make renewed efforts to take effective and practical measures to this end and, in particular, Economic and Social Council resolution 1588 (L) of 21 May 1971, which provided for further action that should be taken to eliminate specifically racial discrimination in the po- litical, economic, social and cultural spheres, Noting the Secretary-General's second progress re- port, based on information received from Governments, the specialized agencies and other international or- ganizations, on the observance of the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimina- tion and on the activities of United Nations organs to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination and apart- heid, 7 7 A/8367 and Corr.I and 2 and Add.I and 2. Noting the Secretary-General's report on the review and reappraisal of United Nations information policies and activities, 8 analysing the relationship of United Nations public information activities to the achieve- ment of the substantive goals of the United Nations, including the elimination of apartheid, racial discrimi- nation and colonialism, and stressing the need, within the principles of universality and objectivity, of a United Nations information programme more directly geared to the support of these goals, Noting the measures that have been taken and the progress that has been achieved to date in the imple- mentation of the programme for the observance of the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination by Governments, United Nations organs, specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and the national and international non- governmental organizations concerned, 1. Expresses its appreciation to the Governments, United Nations organs, specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations which have acted in good faith without political motivation and in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and contributed positively to the observance of the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination; 2. Further expresses its appreciation to the Secre- tary-General for the effective co-ordination of the measures and activities undertaken to date in connexion with the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and for the infor- mative progress reports he has submitted thereon to the General Assembly; 3. Recommends that the measures and activities undertaken on the occasion of the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimina- tion by Governments, United Nations organs, special- ized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations genuinely con- cerned with the elimination of racism and racial dis- crimination be continued, developed and enlarged, and that the initiatives which have emerged from the observance of the International Year should serve as guidelines for action-oriented programmes designed to ensure that the work accomplished in 1971 will be pursued; 4. Urges all States concerned to implement a pro- gramme of political, social, cultural and economic re- dress to improve the conditions of those suffering from the effects of past and present policies of racial discrimination and, in particular, appeals to Govern- ments and all organizations in the United Nations sys- tem to devote their urgent attention to the problems involved in the education of youth, in a spirit of world peace, justice, mutual respect and understanding, as well as respect for the value and dignity of the human person and generally recognized principles of morality and international law concerning friendly relations and co-operation among States, in order to combat racial policies and to promote equal rights and economic social and cultural progress for all; ' 5. Requests every competent United Nations organ, specialized agency, regional intergovernmental organiza- tion and non-governmental organization in consulta- tive status, acting in good faith without political moti- vation and in accordance with the Charter of the BA/C.5/1320/Rev.l and Add.I. 82 General Assembly-Twenty-sixth Session United Nations, to consider, as a matter of highest priority: (a) The further action that it might itself take with a view to the speedy elimination of racial discrimina- tion throughout the world; ( b) The action that it might suggest to its subsidiary organs, to States and to international and national bodies for this purp..:ise; ( c) The follow-up measures required to ensure full and effective implementation of its decisions in this matter; 6. Endorses the invitation addressed by the Eco- nomic and Social Council to the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to provide the Commission on Human Rights with reports on the nature and effect of any racial discrimination of whose existence they have knowledge in their sphere of com- petence and requests that such reports should be submitted annually, and also endorses the invitation ad- dressed by the Council to the non-governmental or- ganizations in consultative status referred to in para- graph 5 above which have a special interest in the elimination of racism and racial discrimination to com- municate biennially to the Council, and for the infor- mation of any interested organ of the United Nations, their endeavours and progress in the struggle against racism, apartheid and racial discrimination in all its forms; 7. Requests the Secretary-General: (a) In conformity with the conclusions stated in paragraphs 52 and 57 of his report on the review and reappraisal of United Nations information policies and activities, 9 to study information programmes on all questions relating to racial discrimination, taking into account the views of the Economic and Social Council and its competent subsidiary bodies with a view to in- tensifying the realization of such programmes; ( b) To pursue, as a major feature of action to combat racism and racial discrimination after the Inter- national Year, a world-wide programme intended to build up public opinion, especially through radio and television broadcasts, and the distribution of appro- priate literature such as the Statement on Race and Racial Preiudice, 10 adopted by a committee of experts on the subject convened by the United Nations Educa- tional, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris in September 1967, and the special study on racial dis- crimination in the political, economic, social and cul- tural spheres, prepared by the Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, 11 with a view to eradicat- ing once and for all false racial beliefs based upon dis- tortion or lack of scientific knowledge and showing how the different races complement one another; 8. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh session a re- port on the measures taken by United Nations organs, which would make possible a detailed assessment and formulation of further new methods and measures to combat racism, racial discrimination and apartheid. 9 A/C.5/1320/Rev.1. 2001st plenary meeting, 6 December 1971. 10 UNESCO document SHC/CS/122/8, appendix 4. 11 Racial Discrimination (United Nations publication, Sales No.: E.71.XIV.2). 2786 (XXVI). Draft convention on the suppres- sion and punishment of the crime of apartheid The General Assembly, Firmly convinced that apartheid constitutes a total negation of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and is a crime against humanity, Recognizing the need to take further effective meas- ures with a view to the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid, Recognizing that the conclusion of a convention on the suppression and punishment of the crime of apart- heid under the auspices of the United Nations would be an important contribution to the struggle against apartheid, racism, economic exploitation, colonial dom- ination and foreign occupation, Considering that there has been no opportunity at the current session of the General Assembly to consider fully the draft convention submitted to the Third Com- mittee, 12 l. Invites the Secretary-General to transmit to the Commission on Human Rights the draft convention on the suppression and punishment of the crime of apart- heid, together with the relevant records of the discus- sion; 2. Recommends that the Commission on Human Rights at its twenty-eighth session and the Economic and Social Council at its fifty-second session should con- sider this item, in co-operation with the Special Com- mittee on Apartheid, as a matter of priority, and should submit the text of the draft convention on the suppres- sion and punishment of the crime of apartheid to the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh session. 2001 st plenary meeting, 6 December 1971. 2787 (XXVI). Importance of the universal reali- zation of the right of peoples to self-determi- nation and of the speedy granting of inde- pendence to colonial countries and peoples for the effective guarantee and observance of human rights The General Assembly, Rea.ffirminf{ its resolutions 1514 (XV) of 14 Decem- ber 1960, 1803 (XVII) of 14 December 1962, 1904 (XVIII) of 20 November 1963, 2200 (XXI) of 16 December 1966, 2535 B (XXIV) of 10 December 1969, 2625 (XXV) of 24 October 1970, 2649 (XXV) of 30 November 1970 and 2672 C (XXV) of 8 De- cember 1970 and resolution VIII adopted by the Inter- national Conference on Human Rights held at Teheran in 1968,13 Solemnly reaffirming that the subjection of peoples to alien subjugation, domination and colonial exploita- tion is a violation of the principle of self-determination as well as a denial of basic human rights and is con- trary to the Charter of the United Nations, Concerned that many peoples continue to be denied the right to self-determination and are living under conditions of colonial and foreign domination, e Official Records of the General Assemblv, Twenty-sixth Session, Annexes, agenda item 54, document Ai 8542, para. 32. 13 Final Act of the International Conference on Human RiRhts (United Nations publication, Sales No.: E.68.XIV.2), p. 9.

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