26 July 1988

38th plenary meeting

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 Economic and Social Council,

Having examined the report of the Secretary-General and the report of the President of the Economic and Social Council concerning the question of the 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,

Having heard the statements made by the Chairman 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 and by the Vice-Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and all other resolutions adopted by United Nations bodies on this subject, in particular General Assembly resolution 42/75 of 4 December 1987 and Economic and Social Council resolution 1987/78 of 8 July 1987,

Recalling also General Assembly resolutions S-14/1 of 20 September 1986 and 42/14 of 6 November 1987 on the question of Namibia and 42/23 of 20 November 1987 on the policies of apartheid of the Government of South Africa,

Deeply concerned that the objectives of the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples have not been fully achieved as regards the peoples under colonial and alien domination, particularly those struggling in Namibia and South Africa under the repressive rule of the racist regime of Pretoria,

Reaffirming the responsibility of the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system to take all effective measures, within their respective spheres of competence, to assist in the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration and other relevant resolutions of United Nations bodies,

Noting with deep concern that South Africa continues to present a serious threat to international peace and security owing to its practice of apartheid, its illegal occupation of Namibia and its acts of aggression and destabilization against the front-line and neighbouring States,

Strongly condemning the continuing breach by South Africa of the obligations assumed by it under the Charter of the United Nations and its persistent non-compliance with the relevant resolutions and decisions of the United Nations,

Reaffirming that the denial of full political and civil rights to the majority of the population of South Africa is the result of the continuation of a colonial situation in that country,

Deeply conscious of the continuing critical need of the people of Namibia and their national liberation movement, the South West Africa People's Organization, for concrete assistance from the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations in their struggle for liberation from the illegal occupation of their country by the racist minority regime of South Africa,

Appreciating that progress has been maintained in the extension of assistance to refugees from southern Africa through the continuing efforts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,

Deeply concerned that the action taken thus far by the organizations concerned in the provision of assistance to the people of Namibia is still far from adequate to meet their urgent and growing needs,

Gravely concerned at the continued financial and other links of the International Monetary Fund with the Government of South Africa, in disregard of relevant General Assembly resolutions,

Noting with satisfaction the continuing efforts of the United Nations Development Programme in the extension of assistance to Namibia and the national liberation movement concerned, and commending the initiative taken by that organization in establishing channels for closer, periodic contacts and consultations between the specialized agencies and United Nations institutions and the Organization of African Unity and the national liberation movement in the formulation of assistance programmes,

1. Takes note of the report of the President of the Economic and Social Council, and endorses the observations and suggestions contained therein;

2. Reaffirms that the 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 United Nations system of organizations of all the necessary moral and material assistance to the peoples of Namibia and South Africa and their national liberation movements;

3. Expresses its appreciation to those specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system that have continued to co-operate in varying degrees with the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity in the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and other relevant resolutions of United Nations bodies, and urges all the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system, in particular the World bank, the International Finance Corporation and the International Monetary Fund, to contribute to the full and speedy implementation of the relevant provisions of those resolutions;

4. Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system, in the light of the intensification of the liberation struggle in Namibia, to do everything possible as a matter of urgency to render increased assistance to the people of Namibia, in consultation with the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Council for Namibia, in particular in connection with the Nationhood Programme for Namibia;

5. Requests the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system, in view of the deteriorating situation in South Africa and the acts of aggression and destabilization by the apartheid regime against States in the region, to increase their assistance to the front-line and neighbouring States and to the liberation movements in South Africa;

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

7. Further requests the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council on the policies of apartheid of the Government of South Africa, to intensify their support for the oppressed people of South Africa and to take such measures as will totally isolate the apartheid regime and mobilize world public opinion against apartheid;

8. Condemns the persistent non-compliance of the Government of South Africa with United Nations resolutions and decisions, in particular Security Council resolution 435 (1978) of 29 September 1978 containing the United Nations plan for the independence of Namibia, and declares illegal and null and void the installation on 17 June 1985 of a so-called interim Government at Windhoek;

9. Deeply deplores the financial and other links of the International Monetary Fund with the Government of South Africa, in disregard of repeated General Assembly resolutions to the contrary, and urgently calls upon the Fund to put an end to such links;

10. Recommends once again that a separate item on assistance to national liberation movements recognized by the Organization of African Unity be included in the agenda of future high-level meetings of the General Secretariat of the Organization of African Unity and the secretariats of the United Nations and other organizations within the United Nations system, with a view to strengthening further the existing measures for co-ordination of action to ensure the best use of available resources for assistance to the peoples of the colonial territories;

11. Notes with satisfaction the inclusion of Namibia, represented by the United Nations Council for Namibia, in the membership of various organizations within the United Nations system, and urges those that have not yet granted full membership to the United Nations Council for Namibia to do so without delay;

12. Notes with satisfaction also the arrangements made by several specialized agencies and United Nations institutions that enable representatives of the national liberation movements recognized by the Organization of African Unity to participate fully as observers in proceedings relating to matters concerning their countries, and calls upon those international institutions that have not yet done so to make such arrangements without delay, including arrangements to defray the cost of the participation of those representatives;

13. Recommends that all States intensify their efforts in the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system of which they are members to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and other relevant resolutions of United Nations bodies;

14. Urges the governing bodies of those specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system that have not already done so to include in the agenda of their regular sessions a separate item on the progress made and action to be taken by their organization in the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and other relevant resolutions of United Nations bodies;

15. Also urges the executive heads of the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system to formulate, with the active co-operation of the Organization of African Unity, 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;

16. Draws the attention 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 and the Special Committee against Apartheid to the present resolution and to the discussion on the subject at the second regular session of 1988 of the Economic and Social Council;

17. Requests the President of the Economic and Social Council to continue consultations on these matters with the Chairman 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 and the Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid and to report thereon to the Council;

18. Requests the Secretary-General to follow the implementation of the present resolution, with particular attention to co-ordination and integration arrangements for maximizing the efficiency of the assistance activities undertaken by various organizations of the United Nations system aimed at enabling the Namibian people to achieve their independence speedily, and to report thereon to the Council at its second regular session of 1989;

19. Decides to keep these questions under continuous review.