unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (08/24/89)
DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE DECIDES TO SEND MISSION
TO OBSERVE NAMIBIAN ELECTIONS
The Special Committee on decolonization this morning decided to send a
visiting mission to Namibia to observe the United Nations-supervised elections
in the Territory scheduled for November of this year.
The Committee took this decision by approving a resolution on the
question of Namibia without a vote, thus concluding its two-week session.
By other terms of the resolution, the Secretary-General was requested to
undertake "the necessary consultations and arrangements" for the mission which
would also monitor the overall decolonization process in Namibia. All parties
to the Namibian question were called upon to honour their commitments to free
and fair elections in the Territory and the Security Council was urged to
closely follow developments there. In addition, member States and the
organizations of the United Nations system were urged to provide economic and
financial assistance to the Namibian people during the transition period and
after independence.
Explaining their votes on the resolution were the representatives of Cuba
and Norway.
In other action this morning, the Committee recommended that the General
Assembly hold a special commemorative meeting to observe the thirtieth
anniversary of the Assembly's 1960 Declaration on decolonization. It made
this recommendation by adopting the report of its Working Group containing
proposals for programmes and activities for the anniversary's commemoration.
Among those activities are the holding of a number of international seminars
on decolonization and the production and dissemination of publications and
other materials on decolonization. The Committee decided to continue
consultations on the motto for the commemoration.
Also this morning, the Committee decided to hold further consultations on
programmes and activities for the International Decade for the Eradication of
Colonialism (1990-2000). A representative of the Caribbean Development and
Co-operation Committee spoke about his group's proposed activities for the
Decade.
In a closing statement, the Committee's Chairman, TESFAYE TADESSE
(Ethiopia) said that because Committee members were concerned about
difficulties in implementing the Namibian independence plan, they had decided
to dispatch a visiting mission to the Territory to closely monitor the process
leading to the November 1989 elections and the elections themselves. The
Committee must continue to focus its attention on the remaining dependent
Territories, and he hoped that the British Government would co-operate with
the Committee in the future. Military activities and arrangements in colonial
Territories and the activities of foreign economic and other interests were of
continuing concern.
During its two-week session, the Committee approved recommendations by
its Sub-Committee on Small Territories regarding self-determination in 13
small Territories administered by the United Kingdom, the United States and
New Zealand in the Atlantic, Pacific and Caribbean. It also dealt with the
situations in Puerto Rico, New Caledonia, the Falkland Islands (Malvinas),
East Timor and Western Sahara, and made recommendations to the General
Assembly on the decolonization activities of the specialized agencies,
information on decolonization, and military and economic activities in
dependent Territories.
The Special Committee on decolonization meets this morning to conclude
its session. It will be considering a consensus draft resolution on Namibia
and reports of its Working Group on the commemoration of the thirtieth
anniversary of the Assembly's 1960 Declaration on decolonization and the
International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (1990-2000).
By the draft on Namibia (document A/AC.109/L.1715), the Special Committee
would decide to send a visiting mission to the Territory to observe the United
Nations supervised elections in Namibia scheduled in November this year and
the overall decolonization process. All parties in Namibia would be called
upon to honour their commitments to free and fair elections under the Namibian
independence plan and Security Council resolution 435 (1978) and the Security
Council would be urged to closely follow developments there. In addition,
member States and the specialized agencies and other United Nations-affiliated
organizations would be urged to provide economic and financial assistance to
the Namibian people during the transition period and after independence.
By a draft resolution contained in the report of its Working Group
(document A/AC.109/L.1713), the General Assembly would endorse the programme
of action for the observance of the thirtieth anniversary of the
Assembly's 1960 Declaration on Decolonization. According to the programme of
activities for the observance, the anniversary would be an appropriate
occasion to evaluate the progress achieved in decolonization over the past 30
years as well as the decolonization role of the United Nations system. The
Secretary-General would be requested to provide adequate resources for the
observance of the anniversary which would be held at United Nations
Headquarters in early October 1990 and attended by a number of Heads of State
or Government.
The Special Committee would be requested to prepare a draft declaration
for the anniversary's commemoration to be submitted to the General Assembly at
its 1990 regular session, taking into account the plan of action for the
International Decade for the Eradiation of Colonialism. Proposed activities
and programmes for the anniversary include regional and United Nations
* Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501)
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Patt Haring | UNITEX : United Nations
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