31 May 1991

13th plenary meeting

Adverse consequences for the enjoyment of human rights of political, military, economic and other forms of assistance given to the racist and colonialist regime of South Africa

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 39/15 of 23 November 1984, 41/95 of 4 December 1986, 43/92 of 8 December 1988 and 45/84 of 14 December 1990,

1. Expresses its appreciation to the Special Rapporteur of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Mr. Ahmed Khalifa, for his updated report;

2. Expresses its thanks to all Governments and organizations that provided information to the Special Rapporteur;

3. Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolution 1990/22 of 27 February 1990, invites the Special Rapporteur:

(a) To continue to update, subject to annual review, the list of banks, transnational corporations and other organizations assisting the racist and colonialist regime of South Africa, giving such details regarding enterprises listed as the Special Rapporteur may consider necessary and appropriate, including explanations of responses, if any, and to submit the updated report to the Commission on Human Rights through the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities;

(b) To use all available material from other United Nations organs, Member States, national liberation movements recognized by the Organization of African Unity, specialized agencies and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as other relevant sources in order to indicate the volume, nature and adverse human consequences of the assistance given to the racist regime of South Africa;

(c) To intensify direct contacts with the United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations and the Centre Against Apartheid of the Secretariat, with a view to consolidating mutual cooperation in updating the report;

4. Calls upon all Governments:

(a) To cooperate with the Special Rapporteur in making the report even more accurate and informative;

(b) To disseminate the updated report and give its contents the widest possible publicity;

5. Also calls upon all Governments and organizations to maintain sanctions against the racist regime of South Africa until the total dismantlement of the apartheid system, in conformity with the Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences in Southern Africa, adopted by the General Assembly on 14 December 1989 in its resolution S-16/1;

6. Invites the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities at its forty-third session and the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-eighth session to consider the updated report;

7. Requests the Secretary-General, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 45/84, to make available to the Special Rapporteur two economists to help him develop his analysis and documentation on specific cases of special importance;

8. Also requests the Secretary-General to give the Special Rapporteur all the assistance that he may require in the exercise of his mandate, with a view to intensifying direct contacts with the United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations and the Centre Against Apartheid of the Secretariat and to consolidating mutual cooperation in updating his report;

9. Further requests the Secretary-General to bring the updated report of the Special Rapporteur to the attention of Governments whose national financial institutions continue to deal with the regime of South Africa, and to call upon them to provide the Special Rapporteur with any information or comments they may wish to present on the matter;

10. Requests the Secretary-General to contact the Government of South Africa with a view to enabling the Special Rapporteur to undertake a visit to South Africa on special mission within the perspective of the next update of his report;

11. Invites the Secretary-General to continue to give the updated report of the Special Rapporteur the widest distribution and publicity as a United Nations publication.