24 November 1981

Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations

The General Assembly,

Having considered the item entitled "Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations",

Recalling the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, and the Plan of Action for the Full Implementation of the Declaration, contained in the annex to its resolution 35/118 of 11 December 1980, as well as all other relevant resolutions adopted by the General Assembly on this subject, in particular resolution 35/29 of 11 November 1980,

Recalling also its resolution ES-8/2 of 14 September 1981 on the question of Namibia,

Taking into account the relevant decisions adopted by the Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Non-Aligned Countries, held at New Delhi from 9 to 13 February 1981, by the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity at its thirty-sixth ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa from 23 February to 1 March 1981, by the Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting of the Co-ordinating Bureau of Non-Aligned Countries on the Question of Namibia, held at Algiers from 16 to 18 April 1981, by the United Nations Council for Namibia at its extraordinary plenary meetings held at Panama from 2 to 5 June 1981 and by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity at its eighteenth ordinary session, held at Nairobi from 24 to 27 June 1981,

Having examined the reports submitted on the item by the Secretary-General, the Economic and Social Council and the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,

Aware that the struggle of the people of Namibia for self-determination and independence is in its most crucial stage and that after the failure of the pre-implementation talks, held at Geneva from 7 to 14 January 1981, it has sharply intensified as a consequence of the defiant attitude and stepped-up aggression of the illegal colonialist regime of Pretoria against the Namibian people and the increased all-round support rendered to that regime by the United States of America and other Western States, and that it is therefore incumbent upon the entire international community decisively to intensify concerted action in support of the people of Namibia and their sole and authentic representative, the South West Africa People's Organization, for the attainment of their goal,

Deeply conscious of the critical need of the Namibian people and their national liberation movement, the South West Africa People's Organization, and of the peoples of other colonial Territories for concrete assistance from the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in their struggle for liberation from colonial rule and in their efforts to achieve and consolidate their national independence,

Reaffirming the responsibility of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to take all necessary measures, within their respective spheres of competence, to ensure the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations, particularly those relating to the provision of moral and material assistance, on a priority basis, to the peoples of the colonial Territories and their national liberation movements,

Deeply concerned that, although there has been progress in the extension of assistance to refugees from Namibia, the actions taken hitherto by the organizations concerned in providing assistance to the people of the Territory through their national liberation movement, the South West Africa People's Organization, still remain inadequate to meet the urgent needs of the Namibian people,

Expressing its confident hope that closer contacts and consultations between the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and the Organization of African Unity and the national liberation movement concerned will help to overcome procedural and other difficulties which have impeded or delayed the implementation of some assistance programmes,

Recalling its resolution 35/227 D of 6 March 1981, in which it requested all specialized agencies and other organizations and conferences of the United Nations system to grant full membership to the United Nations Council for Namibia as the legal Administering Authority for Namibia,

Expressing its appreciation to the General Secretariat of the Organization of African Unity for the continued co-operation and assistance extended by it to the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in connexion with the implementation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations,

Expressing its appreciation also to the Governments of the front-line States for the steadfast support extended to the people of Namibia and their national liberation movement, the South West Africa People's Organization, in their just and legitimate struggle for the attainment of freedom and independence despite increased armed attacks by the forces of the racist regime of South Africa, and aware of the particular needs of those Governments for assistance in that connexion,

Noting with satisfaction the intensified efforts of the United Nations Development Programme in the extension of assistance to the national liberation movements and commending its initiative in establishing channels for closer periodic contacts and consultations between the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and the Organization of African Unity and the national liberation movements in the formulation of assistance programmes,

Noting also the support given by the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to the implementation of the Nationhood Programme for Namibia, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 32/9 A of 4 November 1977,

Gravely concerned at the continued collaboration between the International Monetary Fund and the Government of South Africa in disregard of the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly,

Noting with satisfaction the high-level meetings held at Geneva in April 1981 between representatives of the General Secretariat of the Organization of African Unity and the secretariats of the United Nations and other organizations of the United Nations system, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 35/117 of 10 December 1980, on the question of co-operation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity,

Mindful of the necessity of keeping under continuous review the activities of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in the implementation of the various United Nations decisions relating to decolonization,

1. Approves the chapter 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 relating to the item;

2. Reaffirms that the specialized agencies and other organizations and institutions of the United Nations system should continue to be guided by the relevant resolutions of the United Nations in their efforts to contribute, within their spheres of competence, to the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV);

3. Reaffirms also that recognition by the General Assembly, the Security Council and other United Nations organs of the legitimacy of the struggle of colonial peoples to exercise their right to self-determination and independence entails, as a corollary, the extension by the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system of all the necessary moral and material assistance to those peoples and their national liberation movements;

4. Expresses its appreciation to those specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system which have continued to co-operate in varying degrees with the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity in the implementation of the Declaration and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations, and urges all the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to accelerate the full and speedy implementation of the relevant provisions of those resolutions;

5. Expresses its concern that the assistance extended thus far by certain specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to the colonial peoples, particularly the people of Namibia and their national liberation movement, the South West Africa People's Organization, is far from adequate in relation to the actual needs of the peoples concerned;

6. Regrets that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund continue to maintain links with the colonialist racist minority regime of South Africa, as exemplified by the continued membership of South Africa in both agencies, and that neither has taken the necessary measures towards the full implementation of the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly;

7. Deeply deplores the persistent collaboration between the International Monetary Fund and South Africa, in disregard of repeated resolutions to the contrary by the General Assembly, and calls upon the International Monetary Fund to put an end to such collaboration;

8. Urges the executive heads of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to draw the particular attention of their governing bodies to the present resolution with a view to formulating specific programmes beneficial to the peoples of the colonial Territories, particularly Namibia;

9. Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to render or continue to render, as a matter of urgency, all possible moral and material assistance to the colonial peoples struggling for liberation from colonial rule;

10. Requests once again the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to continue to provide all moral and material assistance to the newly independent and emerging States;

11. Reiterates its recommendation that the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system should initiate or broaden contacts and co-operation with the colonial peoples and their national liberation movements, directly or, where appropriate, through the Organization of African Unity, and review and introduce greater flexibility in their procedures with respect to the formulation and preparation of assistance programmes and projects so as to be able to extend the necessary assistance without delay to help the colonial peoples and their national liberation movements in their struggle to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV);

12. Notes with satisfaction that the South West Africa People's Organization continues to be the recipient of a number of programmes established within the framework of the United Nations Institute for Namibia at Lusaka and that the United Nations Council for Namibia, in co-operation with the South West Africa People's Organization, continues to represent the people of Namibia at meetings of the specialized agencies and other organizations and institutions of the United Nations system, and urges those agencies and organizations to increase their assistance to the South West Africa People's Organization, the United Nations Institute for Namibia and the Nationhood Programme for Namibia;

13. Urges the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system which have not already done so to include in the agenda of the regular meetings of their governing bodies a separate item on the progress they have made in the implementation of the Declaration and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations;

14. Urges the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, to take all necessary measures to withhold any financial, economic, technical or other assistance from the Government of South Africa, to discontinue all support to that Government until it restores to the people of Namibia their inalienable right to self-determination and independence and to refrain from taking any action which might imply recognition of, or support for, the legitimacy of the domination of the Territory by that regime;

15. Notes with satisfaction the arrangements made by several specialized agencies and organizations of the United Nations system which enable representatives of the national liberation movements recognized by the Organization of African Unity to participate fully as observers in the proceedings relating to matters concerning their respective countries, and calls upon those agencies and organizations which have not yet done so to follow this example and to make the necessary arrangements without delay;

16. Urges the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system which have so far not granted full membership to the United Nations Council for Namibia to do so without delay;

17. Urges the specialized agencies and other organizations and institutions of the United Nations system to extend, as a matter of priority, substantial material assistance to the Governments of the front-line States in order to enable them more effectively to support the struggle of the people of Namibia for freedom and independence and to resist the violation of their territorial integrity by the armed forces of the racist regime of South Africa, directly or, as in Angola, through puppet traitor groups in the service of Pretoria;

18. Urges the specialized agencies and other organizations and institutions of the United Nations system to assist in accelerating progress in all sectors of the national life, particularly in the development of the economies, of the small Territories;

19. Recommends that all Governments should intensify their efforts in the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system of which they are members to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Declaration and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations and, in that connexion, should accord priority to the question of providing assistance on an emergency basis to the peoples in the colonial Territories and their national liberation movements;

20. Proposes, under article III of the Agreement between the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund, the urgent inclusion in the agenda of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund of an item dealing with the relationship between the Fund and South Africa and further proposes that, in pursuance of article II of the Agreement, the relevant organs of the United Nations should participate in any meeting of the Board of Governors called by the Fund for the purpose of discussing the item;

21. Draws the attention of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to the Plan of Action for the Full Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in the annex to General Assembly resolution 35/118, and in particular to those provisions calling upon the agencies and organizations to render all possible moral and material assistance to the peoples of the colonial Territories and their national liberation movements;

22. Urges the executive heads of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, having regard to the recommendations contained in paragraph 11 above and the provisions of paragraph 21 above, to formulate, with the active co-operation of the Organization of African Unity where appropriate, and to submit, as a matter of priority, to their governing and legislative organs concrete proposals for the full implementation of the relevant United Nations decisions, in particular specific programmes of assistance to the peoples of the colonial Territories and their national liberation movements;

23. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to assist the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in working out appropriate measures for implementing the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and to prepare for submission to the relevant bodies, with the assistance of those agencies and organizations, a report on the action taken since the circulation of his previous report in implementation of the relevant resolutions, including the present resolution;

24. Requests the Economic and Social Council to continue to consider, in consultation with the Special Committee, appropriate measures for co-ordination of the policies and activities of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system in implementing the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly;

25. Requests the Special Committee to continue to consider this question and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session.