28 May 1987

17th plenary meeting

Activities of transnational corporations in South Africa and Namibia

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolutions on the activities of transnational corporations in South Africa and Namibia, in particular resolution 1981/86 of 2 November 1981, in which it requested the Secretary-General to make arrangements for the organization of public hearings on the activities of transnational corporations in South Africa and Namibia,

Noting with grave concern the continued deterioration of the situation in South Africa as evidenced by the escalating brutality, indiscriminate killings and mass arrest of innocent persons, including women and children, by the authorities of the racist minority regime,

1. Reiterates its condemnation of the racist minority regime in South Africa and its brutal perpetuation of the inhuman system of apartheid and the illegal occupation of Namibia;

2. Condemns those transnational corporations that, through their covert and overt activities in South Africa and Namibia, continue their systematic and clandestine circumventing of laws and measures imposed by the Governments of home countries of transnational corporations, as well as the programmes of disinvestment of some transnational corporations, which are aimed at retaining their profitable economic links with South Africa;

3. Welcomes as an initial positive step the measures taken by the Governments of home countries of transnational corporations to impose restrictions on further investments in South Africa and bank loans to the

racist minority regime;

4. Reiterates that the continued activities of transnational corporations in

South Africa and Namibia and their collaboration with the racist regime of Pretoria perpetuates the system of apartheid and the illegal occupation of Namibia;

5. Urges the Governments of home countries of transnational corporations that have not yet done so to adopt measures aimed at ensuring that transnational corporations do not contribute to maintaining the policies of apartheid and the illegal occupation of Namibia by South Africa;

6. Notes that the Panel of Eminent Persons established to conduct the public hearings on the activities of transnational corporations in South Africa and Namibia proposed a deadline of 1 January 1987 by which significant changes in the operations of transnational corporations in South Africa and Namibia should be effected;

7. Notes also that that deadline has not been met and urges the Governments of home countries of transnational corporations and other bodies concerned to take appropriate measures to implement the recommendations made by the Panel of Eminent Persons;

8. Reaffirms that to eliminate apartheid and to terminate the illegal

occupation of Namibia by the racist regime will require an effective, concerted programme of international action, endorsed by the entire international community, supervised in a systematic manner by Governments and other bodies concerned, and supported by monitoring and follow-up activities;

9. Requests the Secretary-General:

(a) To continue the useful work carried out by the Secretariat on the activities of transnational corporations in South Africa and Namibia through the collection and dissemination of information;

(b) To report on an annual basis to the Commission on Transnational Corporations, the Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and the Security Council on the implementation of the present resolution, until the abolition of apartheid and the termination of South Africa's illegal occupation of Namibia have been achieved;

(c) To prepare a more detailed and consolidated study on the activities of transnational corporations in South Africa and Namibia, in particular the impact of their disinvestment programmes and the replacement of investment by non-equity links and on the responsibilities of home countries with respect to the transnational corporations operating in South Africa and Namibia in violation of the relevant United Nations resolutions and decisions, bearing in mind the recommendations made by the Panel of Eminent Persons;

(d) To take all necessary steps to ensure the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the Panel.