UNITED NATIONS

Economic and Social Council

Distr. GENERAL E/CN.4/1990/SR.ll 9 F e b r u a r y 1990 Original: ENGLISH

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Forty-sixth session SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 11th MEETING Held a t the P a l a i s des N a t i o n s , Geneva, on Tuesday, 6 F e b r u a r y 1990, a t 10 a.m.

Chairman! later:

Mrs. QUISUMBING Mrs. REGAZZOLI

(Philippines) (Argentina)

CONTENTS Statement by H.E. the S e c r e t a r y o f F o r e i g n A f f a i r s o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s Statement by H.E. the M i n i s t e r f o r F o r e i g n A f f a i r s o f the N e t h e r l a n d s V i o l a t i o n s o f human r i g h t s i n s o u t h e r n A f r i c a : Group o f E x p e r t s (continued) r e p o r t o f t h e Ad Hoc Working

The a d v e r s e consequences f o r the enjoyment o f human r i g h t s o f p o l i t i c a l , m i l i t a r y , economic and o t h e r forms o f a s s i s t a n c e g i v e n t o t h e c o l o n i a l and r a c i s t régime i n s o u t h e r n A f r i c a (continued)

This record i s subject

to c o r r e c t i o n .

C o r r e c t i o n s should be submitted i n one o f the working l a n g u a g e s . They s h o u l d be s e t f o r t h i n a memorandum and a l s o i n c o r p o r a t e d i n a copy o f the record. They should be sent w i t h i n one week o f the date o f t h i s document to the O f f i c i a l Records E d i t i n g S e c t i o n , room E.4108, P a l a i s des N a t i o n s , Geneva. Any c o r r e c t i o n s t o t h e r e c o r d s o f the p u b l i c meetings o f t h e Commission a t t h i s s e s s i o n w i l l be c o n s o l i d a t e d i n a s i n g l e corrigendum, t o be i s s u e d s h o r t l y a f t e r the end o f t h e s e s s i o n .

GE.90-10397/1521B

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CONTENTS

(continueci)

Implementation o f the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Convention on the S u p p r e s s i o n and Punishment o f the Crime o f A p a r t h e i d (continued) Study i n c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h the Sub-Commission on P r e v e n t i o n o f D i s c r i m i n a t i o n and P r o t e c t i o n o f M i n o r i t i e s o f ways and means o f e n s u r i n g the implementation of U n i t e d N a t i o n s r e s o l u t i o n s b e a r i n g on a p a r t h e i d ^ r a c i s m and r a c i a l d i s c r i m i n a t i o n (continued) Implementation o f the Programme o f A c t i o n f o r theSecond Decade t o Combat Racism and R a c i a l D i s c r i m i n a t i o n ( c o n t i n u e d )

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The STATEMENT BY H.E. THE

meeting was

c a l l e d to o r d e r a t 10.15 FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE

a.m. PHILIPPINES

SECRETARY FOR

1. The CHAIRMANt i n t r o d u c i n g the S e c r e t a r y f o r F o r e i g n A f f a i r s of the P h i l i p p i n e s , s a i d t h a t Mr. Manglapus had been i n p o l i t i c a l e x i l e from 1972 u n t i l 1986. In 1973, he had founded and become P r e s i d e n t of the Movement f o r a Free P h i l i p p i n e s , the l a r g e s t o r g a n i z e d o p p o s i t i o n group i n the U n i t e d S t a t e s f i g h t i n g the Marcos d i c t a t o r s h i p . He had r e t u r n e d to the P h i l i p p i n e s s h o r t l y b e f o r e the 1986 r e v o l u t i o n and had been e l e c t e d member of the P h i l i p p i n e Senate i n 1987. In the same y e a r , P r e s i d e n t Aquino had a p p o i n t e d him S e c r e t a r y f o r F o r e i g n A f f a i r s . 2. He had e x p e r i e n c e d the a t r o c i t i e s of the Second World War, h a v i n g fought f o r freedom and l i b e r a t i o n from the o c c u p i e r s . He was P r o f e s s o r of C o n s t i t u t i o n a l Law and I n t e r n a t i o n a l R e l a t i o n s i n u n i v e r s i t i e s i n b o t h the P h i l i p p i n e s and the U n i t e d S t a t e s . He was a l s o the a u t h o r of a number of books and a r t i c l e s . 3. Mr. MANGLAPUS ( S e c r e t a r y of F o r e i g n A f f a i r s of the P h i l i p p i n e s ) s a i d t h a t the Commission was founded on the U n i v e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n of Human R i g h t s , which c o n s t i t u t e d an i n v e n t o r y of r i g h t s summarizing the t o t a l substance of democracy. The u l t i m a t e guarantee of those r i g h t s was democracy i t s e l f , the p r a c t i c a l s o v e r e i g n t y of the p e o p l e . The I n t e r n a t i o n a l Covenants on Human R i g h t s , i n v o k i n g the D e c l a r a t i o n , accepted as l i m i t a t i o n s on those r i g h t s o n l y those which were n e c e s s a r y i n a democratic s o c i e t y . 4. N o t i n g t h a t a t i d a l wave of democracy had r e c e n t l y e n g u l f e d the w o r l d , he s a i d t h a t t h e r e were no more s i g n i f i c a n t m i l i t a r y d i c t a t o r s h i p s i n South America, over 1 b i l l i o n A s i a n s were l i v i n g i n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l l i b e r t y , p o l i t i c a l freedom i n s o u t h e r n A f r i c a was boimding f o r w a r d . Western Europe was s o l i d l y d e m o c r a t i c , and the w o r l d was w i t n e s s i n g the d e m o c r a t i c r e n a i s s a n c e of E a s t e r n Europe. 5. F i l i p i n o s l a i d c l a i m w i t h p r i d e to t h e i r own share i n the mounting of the g l o b a l surge to democracy i n the past decade. A f t e r y e a r s of s t r u g g l e a g a i n s t the Marcos d i c t a t o r s h i p , Ninoy Aquino had become a m a r t y r i n 1983. In 1986, m i l l i o n s had taken to the s t r e e t s to c o n f r o n t tanks w i t h r o s a r i e s , had r o u t e d out the d i c t a t o r w i t h o u t s p i l l i n g b l o o d , and had i n s t a l l e d Corazón Aquino as the e l e c t e d P r e s i d e n t of the R e p u b l i c . 6. Her p a s s i o n was f o r democracy and human r i g h t s , her b a r r i c a d e s were those of peace and her siimmoning c r y was "people power". That c r y had been i n s t a n t a n e o u s l y imparted to the w o r l d by s a t e l l i t e . "People power" was soon r e s o n a t i n g i n p o p u l a r c o n v u l s i o n s i n the p u b l i c squares of L a t i n America, N o r t h E a s t A s i a and e a s t of the Brandenburg Gate. 7. The P h i l i p p i n e s took s e r i o u s l y i t s commitment to democracy and human rights. I t d i d n o t i n t e r f e r e but i t d i d applaud whenever democracy was v i c t o r i o u s and i n i t i a t e d c o - o p e r a t i v e e n t e r p r i s e s to promote mutual re-enforcement among s e l f - l i b e r a t e d p e o p l e s .

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8. In Jime 1988, t h e f i r s t i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o n f e r e n c e o f newly r e s t o r e d democracies had been h e l d a t M a n i l a . The c o n f e r e n c e had d i s c u s s e d common problems o f t r a n s i t i o n and how t o defend, w i t h o u t s a c r i f i c i n g human r i g h t s , the newly r e s t o r e d democracy a g a i n s t l i n g e r i n g and p e r s i s t e n t t h r e a t s from the v i o l e n t r i g h t and the v i o l e n t l e f t . 9. A common t h r e a t t o newly r e s t o r e d democracy was t h e attempted coup from the v i o l e n t r i g h t . In t h a t c o n n e c t i o n , he r e f e r r e d t o t h e f a c t t h a t i n 1981, f i v e y e a r s a f t e r t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f democracy i n S p a i n , K i n g Juan C a r l o s had j o i n e d the people i n c r u s h i n g a m i l i t a r y s i e g e o f P a r l i a m e n t by o f f i c e r s who had n a i v e l y thought t h a t the K i n g would j o i n them. 10. That s t o r y o f S p a n i s h democracy was f a m i l i a r t o P r e s i d e n t Aquino and the P h i l i p p i n e people f o r , as r e c e n t l y as December 1989, mercenary o f f i c e r s had l e d a f o i l e d mutiny a g a i n s t the P h i l i p p i n e C o n s t i t u t i o n b e l i e v i n g t h a t P r e s i d e n t Aquino would c a p i t u l a t e a t the suddenness o f t h e i r a t t a c k and that the p e o p l e would r u s h t o embrace t h e i r f o r c e s . Like t h e i r Spanish cousins, the p e o p l e o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s had no w i s h t o s u r r e n d e r t h e i r freedom t o tyranny and, l i k e S p a i n , t h e P h i l i p p i n e s had resumed i t s march. 11. F o r e i g n Governments had responded w i t h f i r m a s s u r a n c e s o f support f o r the l e g i t i m a c y o f P h i l i p p i n e democracy. As a r e s u l t , h i s Government had c o n f i d e n t l y made p u b l i c i t s adherence t o the o r i g i n a l o p t i m i s t i c growth t a r g e t s f o r 1990. I t was i n o b s t i n a t e p u r s u i t of the mercenary l e a d e r s s t i l l at large. They were b e i n g c a p t u r e d one by one, b u t h i s Government would n o t defend i t s democracy by d e s t r o y i n g democracy i t s e l f . 12. H i s c o u n t r y ' s d e v o t i o n t o the r i g h t t o human l i f e was t e n a c i o u s and the new P h i l i p p i n e C o n s t i t u t i o n had t h e r e f o r e banned c a p i t a l punishment. The P h i l i p p i n e s d i d n o t p u n i s h w i t h death sentences even those who would k i l l democracy and i n t h e p r o c e s s k i l l p e o p l e , as the mutineers o f December had done. 13. In December, a f t e r p r o l o n g e d d e l i b e r a t i o n , the Congress o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s had passed a law g r a n t i n g P r e s i d e n t Aquino emergency powers. Not a s i n g l e r i g h t i n h i s c o u n t r y ' s b i l l o f r i g h t s was suspended. The law merely a l l o w e d the P r e s i d e n t e x t r a o r d i n a r y a u t h o r i t y t o c o n t r o l p r i c e s , d i r e c t t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , r e g u l a t e f i r e arms, p r o t e c t the p o p u l a t i o n from h o a r d i n g , p r o f i t e e r i n g and s p e c u l a t i o n , and r e a f f i r m c o n s t i t u t i o n a l s a f e g u a r d s f o r s e l f - o r g a n i z a t i o n , f o r p e a c e f u l assembly and f o r p e t i t i o n s t o the Government f o r r e d r e s s of g r i e v a n c e s . 14. The 1987 C o n s t i t u t i o n had e s t a b l i s h e d a commission on human r i g h t s , the o n l y such c o n s t i t u t i o n a l commission i n the w o r l d . L i k e t h e P h i l i p p i n e j u d i c i a r y , i t was independent and d i d n o t respond to the E x e c u t i v e Power. I t even heard and advocated cases a g a i n s t the Government. The P r e s i d e n t a l s o had her hiunan r i g h t s committee, which a s s i s t e d h e r i n m o n i t o r i n g and r e a c t i n g t o hiaman r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s i n the Government. The Department o f F o r e i g n A f f a i r s had an A s s i s t a n t S e c r e t a r y f o r Human R i g h t s and Huunanitarian A f f a i r s who spoke and a c t e d f o r the Government a t home and abroad and who was c u r r e n t l y the Chairman o f t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s Commission on Human R i g h t s . 15. That machinery, which enabled the P h i l i p p i n e s t o f u l f i l i t s commitments as s i g n a t o r y t o i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o n v e n t i o n s , extended t o the g r a n t i n g o f

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autonomy t o the Muslims and o t h e r m i n o r i t i e s i n the c o u n t r y . The 1987 C o n s t i t u t i o n mandated r e g i o n a l autonomous o r g a n i c a c t s f o r t h e i n t e g r a t i o n of the i n d i g e n o u s c u l t u r a l communities i n Muslim Mindanao and the C o r d i l l e r a r e g i o n i n t o the mainstream o f P h i l i p p i n e economic, p o l i t i c a l and s o c i a l l i f e . 16. P u r s u i n g such i n t e g r a t i o n , a d e m o c r a t i c p l e b i s c i t e had been h e l d , i n November 1989 i n Muslim Mindanao and i n December 1989 i n the C o r d i l l e r a r e g i o n , t o d e c i d e whether the r e s i d e n t s a c c e p t e d the r e g i o n a l autonomy laws enacted by Congress. R e g i o n a l e l e c t i o n s would be h e l d i n F e b r u a r y 1990 i n areas i n Muslim Mindanao which had v o t e d f o r the autonomy a c t . 17. The P h i l i p p i n e human r i g h t s machinery was e l a b o r a t e b u t , a s i n e v e r y human system, t h e r e were l a p s e s , and h i s Government r e s p e c t e d and indeed encouraged those non-governmental o r g a n i z a t i o n s which monitored i t s human r i g h t s performance and r e p o r t e d on i t o b j e c t i v e l y . 18. I t was easy t o monitor P h i l i p p i n e s o c i e t y because i t was so f r e e . I t was t h e r e f o r e easy f o r anyone who so d e s i r e d t o magnify i t s l a p s e s t o the w o r l d , and among the most e f f i c i e n t o f those m a g n i f i e r s were the a c t i v i s t s o f the violent left. In Europe, as i n N o r t h America, t h e r e was a network o f the v i o l e n t l e f t which had succeeded i n r a i s i n g m i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s f o r r e m i t t a n c e to P h i l i p p i n e M a o i s t r e b e l s . The money f r e q u e n t l y came from i m w i t t i n g i n s t i t u t i o n s which o f t e n went t o the e x t e n t o f r e s o r t i n g t o t h e o l o g y i n o r d e r to j u s t i f y t h e i r n a i v e t e . 19. I t was amusing t o watch t h a t network even i n i t s u n f a i r n e s s and, indeed, i n i t s r a c i s m , such as the few b u t f i n a n c i a l l y capable f o r e i g n i n s t i t u t i o n s which condemned a p a r t h e i d i n South A f r i c a and then d i s m i s s e d w i t h such d i s c r e d i t e d M a r x i s t d e p r e c a t i o n s as ' % o u r g e o i s " the a u t h e n t i c , p e a c e f u l and triumphant P h i l i p p i n e r e v o l u t i o n f o r democracy and hxmian r i g h t s . 20. He would l i k e t o know what e l s e i t was b u t p l a i n r a c i s m when women and men o f the C a u c a s i a n r a c e a c c l a i m e d the f a l l o f l e f t i s t t y r a n n y and the r e b i r t h o f democracy i n E a s t e r n Europe and then f i n a n c e d the r e t u r n o f t h a t same tyranny t o an a l r e a d y r e b o r n A s i a n democracy. 21. Democracy as a human v a l u e dated from b e f o r e Marx, J e f f e r s o n , the f a l l o f the B a s t i l l e , Magna C a r t a and even P r o t a g o r a s . Indeed, the dawn o f r e c o r d e d h i s t o r y had fotmd humankind a l r a a d y c i v i l i z e d , and, as a r c h e o l o g y was p r o g r e s s i v e l y e s t a b l i s h i n g , already democratic. On the o t h e r hand, a r c h e o l o g y had n o t uncovered any c o n c l u s i v e evidence o f a " d e s p o t i c caveman civilization". Democracy was an i n v e n t i o n n e i t h e r o f the West n o r o f the East. I t was t h e o r i g i n a l s t a t e o f humankind. That meant t h a t the Commission might c l a i m l e g i t i m a c y f o r i t s a c t s n o t o n l y i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l law b u t i n the law o f n a t u r e i t s e l f . I t meant t h a t the S e c r e t a r y - G e n e r a l r o s e above the l e g a l i n t o the moral o r d e r when he c a l l e d f o r the r e c o g n i t i o n o f a " u n i v e r s a l c u l t u r e o f human r i g h t s " . 22. I t was the i n i t i a t i v e o f the Commission t h a t had u l t i m a t e l y produced i n 1986 the G e n e r a l Assembly's D e c l a r a t i o n on the R i g h t t o Development. Development was a human r i g h t and i t was p a i n f u l t o develop and s t i l l have t o pay f o r e i g n d e b t . However, h i s c o u n t r y d i d so and i t s f i s c a l c r e d i b i l i t y was h i g h , b u t so was i t s p a s s i o n a t e a t t e n t i o n t o p o v e r t y . Over 40 p e r cent o f i t s

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n a t i o n a l budget went t o d e b t - s e r v i c i n g , y e t the Government had d e c l a r e d t o t a l war on p o v e r t y . P r e s i d e n t Aquino had accorded the h i g h e s t p r i o r i t y t o d e l i v e r i n g the b a s i c s e r v i c e s t o the lowest 30 p e r cent o f the p o p u l a t i o n . 23. However, the i n t e r n a t i o n a l dichotomy between debt and development must be c o n f r o n t e d m a s s i v e l y and g l o b a l l y . In too many c o u n t r i e s , human r i g h t s and fundamental democracy were stjnmied by e x t e r n a l debt. In 1988, the P h i l i p p i n e s had proposed t h a t the U n i t e d N a t i o n s should c a l l f o r the e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f an i n t e r n a t i o n a l debt and development commission. The p r o p o s a l , endorsed b y the Group o f 77, had s e t i n motion the e v e n t u a l mandating by the G e n e r a l Assembly of the S e c r e t a r y - G e n e r a l t o take i n i t i a t i v e s f o r the r e l i e f o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l debt. 24. With r e g a r d t o a r t i c l e s 13 and 14 o f the U n i v e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n o f Human R i g h t s , he r e c a l l e d t h a t a t the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Conference on Indo-Chinese Refugees, h e l d a t Geneva i n 1989, he had o f f e r e d on b e h a l f o f h i s Government to host an expanded r e g i o n a l r e s e t t l e m e n t c e n t r e f o r Indo-Chinese refugees i n the P h i l i p p i n e s . H i s Government had a l r e a d y been h o s t i n g two such refugee c e n t r e s s i n c e 1980. 25. One o f the c o n d i t i o n s h i s Government had l a i d down, a f t e r c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h i t s ASEAN p a r t n e r s , was t h a t V i e t Nam s h o u l d host a c o u n t e r p a r t r e g i o n a l h o l d i n g c e n t r e f o r those n o t q u a l i f i e d as r e f u g e e s . That c o n d i t i o n had n o t been met. However i n i t s d e s i r e t o h e l p r e l i e v e the r e g i o n o f i t s r e f u g e e burden, h i s Government had a c c e p t e d as an a l t e r n a t i v e the a s s u r a n c e by the U n i t e d N a t i o n s High Commissioner f o r Refugees t h a t c o n s i d e r a t i o n would be g i v e n t o the c a t e g o r y i n q u e s t i o n . Consequently, c o n s t r u c t i o n f o r the p r o j e c t was about t o b e g i n . 26. In b u i l d i n g refugee c e n t r e s , the P h i l i p p i n e s was h e l p i n g t o r e b u i l d i n d i v i d u a l  b e i n g s . Moreover, i t was p r e p a r i n g t o r e s e t t l e them i n c o u n t r i e s t h a t made no d i s t i n c t i o n between the concept o f democracy and t h a t of human r i g h t s because those concepts were, indeed, one. 27. The y e a r 2000 l a y o n l y 10 y e a r s ahead. I t was t o be hoped t h a t , i n the l a s t y e a r .of the c e n t u r y , enough e v i d e n c e would have come t o hand t o c a l l the O r g a n i z a t i o n no l o n g e r j u s t the U n i t e d N a t i o n s b u t the U n i t e d Democracies. STATEMENT BY H.E. THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE NETHERLANDS 28. Mr. v^n den BROEK ( M i n i s t e r f o r F o r e i g n A f f a i r s o f The N e t h e r l a n d s ) , h a v i n g p r a i s e d the Commission on Human R i g h t s as the c r a d l e o f so many important human r i g h t s i n s t r u m e n t s and the main i n t e r n a t i o n a l forum f o r promoting r e s p e c t f o r human r i g h t s , one o f the most v i t a l r o l e s o f the U n i t e d N a t i o n s , s a i d t h a t , i f one looked a t the s t a n d a r d s s e t by the Commission over the y e a r s , a p a t t e r n c l e a r l y emerged. The Commission had always done j u s t i c e t o the d i v e r g i n g views v o i c e d on the many i s s u e s b e f o r e it. Eminent i n t e r n a t i o n a l s c h o l a r s and d i p l o m a t s , r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f d i f f e r e n t c u l t u r e s and p o l i t i c a l and l e g a l systems, had foimd a common denominator i n the i n h e r e n t d i g n i t y o f a l l men and women. 29. The d r a f t e r s o f the U n i v e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n o f Human R i g h t s had n o t i n v e n t e d the s u b j e c t ; r a t h e r , they had imcovered i t and g i v e n i t a t r u l y v i n i v e r s a l scope. The U n i v e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n had been a c c e p t e d b y a l l members of the U n i t e d N a t i o n s , whether e x p l i c i t l y o r i m p l i c i t l y ; g a i n i n g p o l i t i c a l and

E/CN.4/1990/SR.11 page 7

l e g a l weight over the y e a r s , i t had become b i n d i n g law under a r t i c l e 38 of the S t a t u t e o f the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Court of J u s t i c e . A l t h o u g h the b i n d i n g n a t u r e of the two I n t e r n a t i o n a l Covenants on Human R i g h t s was based on the f r e e consent o f the S t a t e s p a r t i e s , many p r o v i s i o n s were a l r e a d y b i n d i n g i n themselves as r u l e s o f customary i n t e r n a t i o n a l law. 30. Some Governments found i t d i f f i c u l t to r e c o n c i l e c e r t a i n o b l i g a t i o n s emanating from the Covenants w i t h t h e i r own domestic law, which they regarded as paramount, and c o n s e q u e n t l y t r e a t e d i n t e r n a t i o n a l law as b e i n g merely supplementary to t h e i r own l e g i s l a t i o n . That was a f a l s e assumption, and i f u n i l a t e r a l d e p a r t u r e s from e x i s t i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l law were t o l e r a t e d , the e n t i r e f a b r i c o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l r e l a t i o n s was i n danger of u n r a v e l l i n g . I t was not w i t h o u t r e a s o n t h a t the V i e n n a Convention on the Law of T r e a t i e s s t i p u l a t e d t h a t no S t a t e c o u l d invoke i t s i n t e r n a l law as j u s t i f i c a t i o n f o r i t s f a i l u r e to perform a t r e a t y . 31. The essence of i n t e r n a t i o n a l himian r i g h t s law was t h a t S t a t e s p a r t i e s could not r e c o n s i d e r t h e i r p o s i t i o n . The l e g a l , p o l i t i c a l and moral n a t u r e of hviman r i g h t s i n s t r u m e n t s d i d n o t admit of s e l e c t i v e acceptance and r e j e c t i o n . T e r m i n a t i o n and s u s p e n s i o n of i n t e r n a t i o n a l o b l i g a t i o n s were r u l e d out w i t h r e s p e c t to human r i g h t s . In the o p i n i o n o f h i s Government, the primacy o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l law c o u l d under no circvmistances be c a l l e d i n t o q u e s t i o n . 32. In the p a s t , when S t a t e s had r a i s e d the q u e s t i o n of s p e c i f i c human r i g h t s abuses i n o t h e r c o x m t r i e s , they had a t times been accused of i n t e r f e r e n c e i n the i n t e r n a l a f f a i r s o f o t h e r S t a t e s . Over the y e a r s , however, an i n c r e a s i n g number of S t a t e s had stopped r e s o r t i n g to such a b l a n k e t d e f e n c e , c h o o s i n g i n s t e a d to e n t e r i n t o a d i a l o g u e on s u b s t a n c e . U n f o r t u n a t e l y , as had become c l e a r on s e v e r a l o c c a s i o n s d u r i n g the most r e c e n t s e s s i o n o f the General Assembly, t h a t i s s u e , which was of c r u c i a l importance to the success of the Commission's work, had n o t been s e t t l e d once and f o r a l l . 33. In h i s Government's view, i t was the Commission's r i g h t and, i n d e e d , i t s duty to c o n s i d e r , r e a c h d e c i s i o n s and take p r a c t i c a l a c t i o n on v i o l a t i o n s of i n t e r n a t i o n a l law r e l a t i n g t o human r i g h t s . R e c o g n i t i o n o f the l i m i t s of n a t i o n a l s o v e r e i g n t y was n o t new. As e a r l y as the n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y , i t had been a c c e p t e d t h a t , when man-made d i s a s t e r s o c c u r r e d . S t a t e s s h o u l d not s t a n d i d l y by. That had l e d t o the d r a f t i n g of numerous c o n v e n t i o n s , f i r s t and foremost t o p r o t e c t i n d i v i d u a l s a g a i n s t a c t i o n s by a l i e n Governments. The b e n e f i c i a r i e s i n c l u d e d the v i c t i m s of the s l a v e t r a d e and a l s o the woimded, p r i s o n e r s o f war and c i v i l i a n p o p u l a t i o n i n armed c o n f l i c t s , the l a t t e r concerns c u l m i n a t i n g i n the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and t h e i r 1977 Protocols. 34. However, the i d e a had a l s o g r a d u a l l y emerged t h a t people needed p r o t e c t i o n a g a i n s t t h e i r own Governments too and t h a t the e x p r e s s i o n of concern by t h i r d p a r t i e s s h o u l d be regarded as l e g i t i m a t e when ftmdamental freedoms, b a s i c l i b e r t i e s and i n a l i e n a b l e r i g h t s were a t s t a k e . I t had g r a d u a l l y become a c c e p t e d t h a t S t a t e s must be h e l d a c c o u n t a b l e f o r t h e i r human-rights p o l i c i e s . I t was o f c r u c i a l importance n o t t o s t o p a t n a t i o n a l b o i m d a r i e s when people were m i s t r e a t e d , i m p r i s o n e d , t o r t u r e d o r k i l l e d . 35. The h o r r o r s o f the Second World War had g i v e n s t r o n g impetus t o t h a t acceptance. The d e c i s i o n t o p r o s e c u t e those who, under the N a z i régime, had p e r p e t r a t e d a g a i n s t t h e i r own n a t i o n a l s crimes t h a t were q u a l i f i e d as crimes

E/CN.4/1990/SR.11 page 8

a g a i n s t humanity, had c l e a r l y shown t h a t the w o r l d had abandoned the view t h a t the S t a t e was the s o l e judge of how i t s h o u l d t r e a t the people tinder i t s jurisdiction. By v i r t u e of the C h a r t e r of the U n i t e d N a t i o n s , the r e a l i z a t i o n of human r i g h t s had e x p l i c i t l y become a l e g i t i m a t e s u b j e c t f o r i n t e r n a t i o n a l concern. 36. I t was i n c o r r e c t to say t h a t n o t h i n g i n the C h a r t e r a u t h o r i z e d the U n i t e d N a t i o n s t o i n t e r v e n e i n matters which were e s s e n t i a l l y w i t h i n the domestic j u r i s d i c t i o n of a S t a t e , because A r t i c l e 2 and the o t h e r r e l e v a n t A r t i c l e s of the C h a r t e r were c l e a r l y concerned w i t h i n t e r v e n i n g by the use of f o r c e and d i d not p r e j u d i c e i n any way a human r i g h t s involvement of the U n i t e d N a t i o n s on the b a s i s of such p r o v i s i o n s as A r t i c l e s 1 and 55 o f the Charter. 37. F o r t y y e a r s of U n i t e d N a t i o n s a c t i o n had c l e a r l y been i n compliance w i t h the C h a r t e r , and t h e r e were nvunerous examples of l a w f u l i n t e r f e r e n c e i n the domestic a f f a i r s of S t a t e s i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h human r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s . That was o b v i o u s l y the case f o r the U n i t e d N a t i o n s r e s o l u t i o n s , and a l s o the d e c i s i o n s by the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Court of J u s t i c e , r e g a r d i n g the r e p u l s i v e system of a p a r t h e i d i n South A f r i c a and the involvement by the U n i t e d N a t i o n s i n the a f f a i r s of such c o u n t r i e s as C h i l e and I r a n , where a t r o c i t i e s had been committed. 38. H i s Government was c o n v i n c e d t h a t the p r e s s u r e e x e r t e d by the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community had c o n t r i b u t e d to change, and i n t h a t c o n t e x t , i t welcomed the important p o l i c y changes announced a few days p r e v i o u s l y by the P r e s i d e n t of South A f r i c a , such as the i n t e n t i o n t o f r e e N e l s o n Mandela u n c o n d i t i o n a l l y and the r e p e a l of the ban on the ANC, the PAC and o t h e r p o l i t i c a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s . I t was a l s o encouraging to note t h a t a d e m o c r a t i c a l l y e l e c t e d P r e s i d e n t was soon to be i n a u g u r a t e d i n C h i l e . 39. Not o n l y c o u l d the O r g a n i z a t i o n ' s common concern f o r human r i g h t s not be d i s m i s s e d as as i n t e r f e r e n c e i n domestic a f f a i r s , i t i n f a c t c o n s t i t u t e d the duty of Member S t a t e s towards people whose human r i g h t s were b e i n g v i o l a t e d and who were e n t i t l e d to expect the U n i t e d N a t i o n s to h o l d Governments t h a t v i o l a t e d hviman r i g h t s a c c o u n t a b l e , j u s t as those people were e n t i t l e d to h o l d the Commission on Himian R i g h t s a c c o u n t a b l e f o r i t s a c t i o n o r i n a c t i o n ; indeed, they had done so on s e v e r a l o c c a s i o n s b e f o r e the Commission I t s e l f . 40. In 1984, the M i n i s t e r f o r F o r e i g n A f f a i r s of A r g e n t i n a had thanked the Commission f o r i t s s o l i d a r i t y a n d . i n v a l u a b l e c o - o p e r a t i o n i n the human r i g h t s f i e l d d u r i n g the p r e v i o u s y e a r s ; i n 1985, a Senator from Uruguay had expressed h i s g r a t i t u d e to the Commission and the Human R i g h t s Committee f o r t h e i r defence of human r i g h t s i n h i s c o i u i t r y ; w h i l e , i n 1986, the M i n i s t e r f o r F o r e i g n A f f a i r s of Uganda had c r i t i c i z e d the Commission f o r not h a v i n g a c t e d s w i f t l y t o condemn v i o l a t i o n s committed by p r e v i o u s r u l e r s of h i s c o u n t r y and had e x p r e s s e d h i s r e g r e t t h a t the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community took such a p a i n f u l l y l o n g time to condemn known human r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s . 41. C l e a r l y , t h e r e f o r e i t was imwise to r e l y on o f f i c i a l statements a l o n e . Events i n Poland, C z e c h o s l o v a k i a and Romania were f u r t h e r p r o o f t h a t p r i s o n e r s might become f u t u r e r u l e r s - a l l the more reason t o be guided by the u n i v e r s a l l y a c c e p t e d human r i g h t s s t a n d a r d s , n o t merely by the c u r r e n t r u l e r s ' views, i n j u d g i n g s i t u a t i o n s . The N e t h e r l a n d s would c o n t i n u e t o v o i c e i t s

E/CN.4/1990/SR.11 page 9

concern whenever a s i t u a t i o n so warranted, r e g a r d l e s s o f r e g i o n , p o l i t i c a l system, r e l i g i o n o r c u l t u r e ; the defence o f human r i g h t s c o u l d n o t be q u a l i f i e d as u n l a w f u l i n t e r f e r e n c e i n the i n t e r n a l a f f a i r s o f a S t a t e . hi. The peoples o f c e n t r a l and e a s t e r n Europe had c o u r a g e o u s l y a s s e r t e d t h e i r r i g h t t o r u l e themselves. The f r e e e l e c t i o n s b e i n g o r g a n i z e d i n most p l a c e s would enable those p e o p l e s t o e x e r c i s e t h e i r r i g h t t o s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n on a permanent b a s i s . The U n i t e d N a t i o n s had c o n t r i b u t e d t o the changes; i t s human r i g h t s standards had always p r o v i d e d c l e a r , uncompromising c r i t e r i a , and the Commission had been a c t i v e l y i n v o l v e d i n the human r i g h t s s i t u a t i o n s i n Poland and Romania through r a p p o r t e u r s . 43. H i s Government was convinced t h a t a change o f p o l i c y on the p a r t o f the c e n t r a l and e a s t e r n European d e l e g a t i o n s would a l s o change the pace and outcome o f the Commission's work. With i n c r e a s e d e f f o r t s by a l l members of the Commission, i t would be a b l e t o make s u b s t a n t i a l p r o g r e s s i n m a t t e r s such as the r i g h t t o l e a v e and r e t u r n t o one's own c o u n t r y , freedom o f o p i n i o n , e x p r e s s i o n and r e l i g i o n , and the e l i m i n a t i o n of i n t o l e r a n c e . 44. Another v e r y r e l e v a n t s u b j e c t was the r i g h t t o s t a n d up f o r the human r i g h t s n o t o n l y o f o n e s e l f b u t a l s o , and e s p e c i a l l y , o f o t h e r s . I f the Commission c o u l d f i n a l i z e a d e c l a r a t i o n on t h a t i s s u e a t i t s c u r r e n t s e s s i o n , i t would p r o v i d e the b e s t p o s s i b l e evidence t h a t the O r g a n i z a t i o n , which had so o f t e n been c r i t i c i z e d , c o u l d r e a c t a d e q u a t e l y and s w i f t l y t o developments. 45. S t a t e s i n s e v e r a l r e g i o n s had developed t h e i r own standards and implementation machinery i n a d d i t i o n t o those e x i s t i n g a t g l o b a l l e v e l . R e g i o n a l i n s t r u m e n t s might complement u n i v e r s a l l y a c c e p t e d human r i g h t s standards b u t c o u l d never r e p l a c e them o r derogate from them. Nevertheless, the U n i t e d N a t i o n s was, perhaps, n o t g a i n i n g f u l l b e n e f i t from r e g i o n a l experience. The r e p o r t r e g u l a r l y submitted by the S e c r e t a r y - G e n e r a l t o the General Assembly on t h a t i s s u e c o u l d , perhaps, be enhanced by making i n f o r m a t i o n on r e g i o n a l arrangements a v a i l a b l e a t the Commission's s e s s i o n s . 46. The v a l u e o f r e g i o n a l e f f o r t s was e x e m p l i f i e d by the C h a r t e r on Human and P e o p l e s ' R i g h t s adopted by the O r g a n i z a t i o n o f A f r i c a n U n i t y (OAU), the e s t a b l i s h m e n t a t B a n j u l o f an A f r i c a n Centre f o r Democracy and Human R i g h t s S t u d i e s , the Inter-American Convention on  R i g h t s and Inter-American Court o f Human R i g h t s , and the European Convention on Human R i g h t s and o t h e r conventions e l a b o r a t e d w i t h i n the framework o f the C o u n c i l o f Europe, i n which c e n t r a l and e a s t e r n European c o i u i t r i e s had expressed a welcome i n t e r e s t . 47. The F i n a l Document, i s s u e d i n January 1989, of the V i e n n a Meeting o f the Conference on S e c u r i t y and C o - o p e r a t i o n i n Europe showed t h a t the p a r t i c i p a t i n g S t a t e s had been a b l e t o agree on d e t a i l e d s t a n d a r d s and procedures which would enable S t a t e s t o h o l d each o t h e r accotintable f o r human r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s ; those procedures had proved t h e i r worth w i t h i n the same year and had c e r t a i n l y h e l p e d t o keep up the morale o f d i s s i d e n t s and oppressed c i t i z e n s . He was c o n f i d e n t the Commission would w i s h t o study the document and a s s e s s what use i t c o u l d make o f those pan-European procedures. 48. He had p l e a s u r e i n announcing t h a t , s h o r t l y b e f o r e the end o f 1989, h i s Government had c o n t r i b u t e d t o the U n i t e d N a t i o n s V o l u n t a r y Fund f o r V i c t i m s of T o r t u r e , the U n i t e d N a t i o n s Fund f o r A d v i s o r y S e r v i c e s and T e c h n i c a l A s s i s t a n c e i n the F i e l d o f Human R i g h t s and the U n i t e d N a t i o n s V o l u n t a r y Fund f o r

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Indigenous P o p u l a t i o n s . V o l u n t a r y c o n t r i b u t i o n s , a l t h o u g h welcome, d i d n o t s o l v e the O r g a n i z a t i o n ' s s t r u c t u r a l f i n a n c i a l problems and the Commission s h o u l d s t r o n g l y support any e f f o r t t o i n c r e a s e the budget o f the C e n t r e f o r Himian R i g h t s . 49. The v i c t i m s o f human r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s put t h e i r t r u s t i n the Commission, which s h o u l d always heed them, because they were o f t e n n o t f r e e t o speak up f o r themselves i n t h e i r own c o u n t r i e s . That was n o t t o say t h a t the Commission s h o u l d d e a l w i t h a l l the phenomena o f htiman s u f f e r i n g ; f o r many o f them s p e c i f i c forums e x i s t e d , w i t h which the Commission s h o u l d co-operate i n the a l l e v i a t i o n o f such scourges as war, hunger, p o l l u t i o n and extreme poverty. In t h a t s p i r i t o f s o l i d a r i t y , he wished the Commission s u c c e s s i n the work o f i t s c u r r e n t s e s s i o n . VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: REPORT OF THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP OF EXPERTS (agenda item 5) ( c o n t i n u e d ) (E/CN.4/1990/6 and 7) THE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF POLITICAL, MILITARY, ECONOMIC AND OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE GIVEN TO THE COLONIAL AND RACIST REGIME IN SOUTHERN AFRICA (agenda item 6) ( c o n t i n u e d ) (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1989/9 and C o r r . l and A d d . l ) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE SUPPRESSION AND PUNISHMENT OF THE CRIME OF APARTHEID (agenda item 15) ( c o n t i n u e d ) (E/CN.4/1990/32 and Add.1-6, 34 and Add.1-2; E/CN.4/1989/31/Add.lO, E/CN.4/1989/33 and E/CN.4/1990/35) STUDY IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SUB-COMMISSION ON PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION AND PROTECTION OF MINORITIES OF WAYS AND MEANS OF ENSURING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF UNITED NATIONS RESOLUTIONS BEARING ON APARTHEID. RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION (agenda item 16 ( a ) ) ( c o n t i n u e d ) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE SECOND DECADE TO COMBAT RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION (agenda item 16 ( b ) ) ( c o n t i n u e d ) (E/CN.4/1990/37, 38 and 50; E/CN.4/1990/NGO/7; E/CN.4/Sub.2/1989/8 and A d d . l ) 50. Mr. SELEPENG (Botswana), r e f e r r i n g t o agenda item 5, s a i d t h a t i t was a s e r i o u s i n d i c t m e n t o f the human r i g h t s s i t u a t i o n i n s o u t h e r n A f r i c a t h a t the Commission had foimd i t n e c e s s a r y t o renew r e g u l a r l y the mandate o f the Ad Hoc Working Group s i n c e 1967. With r e s p e c t t o South A f r i c a , the r e p o r t of the Ad Hoc Working Group c o n t a i n e d i n s t a n c e s o f human r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s a c r o s s the b o a r d , i n c l u d i n g the r i g h t t o s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n , the r i g h t t o l i f e , e d u c a t i o n and h e a l t h as w e l l as the fundamental freedoms o f e x p r e s s i o n and association. I t was c l e a r from the r e p o r t t h a t v i o l a t i o n s o f hianan r i g h t s and fundamental freedoms i n South A f r i c a flowed from the p o l i c i e s and p r a c t i c e s o f apartheid. I t was e q u a l l y noteworthy t h a t a p a r t h e i d had been i d e n t i f i e d as the r o o t cause o f p o l i t i c a l v i o l e n c e i n s i d e South A f r i c a and o f d e s t a b i l i z a t i o n i n southern A f r i c a . 51. Over the y e a r s , the Commission had sent a c l e a r message t o South A f r i c a c o n c e r n i n g human r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s i n t h a t c o u n t r y , b u t the s i t u a t i o n seemed to have d e t e r i o r a t e d w i t h e v e r y s u c c e e d i n g y e a r . A l t h o u g h the a b o l i t i o n o f a p a r t h e i d would n o t i n i t s e l f r e s t o r e human r i g h t s and fundamental freedoms i n South A f r i c a , i t would pave the way f o r the e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f a democratic

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s o c i e t y i n t h a t c o u n t r y , which was the message sent to the South A f r i c a n a u t h o r i t i e s by the s p e c i a l s e s s i o n of the G e n e r a l Assembly on a p a r t h e i d . 52. The i n t e r n a t i o n a l community had been a w a i t i n g a response from the South A f r i c a n a u t h o r i t i e s to the message of the s p e c i a l s e s s i o n . The P r e s i d e n t of South A f r i c a had announced on the o c c a s i o n of the opening of the t r i c a m e r a l P a r l i a m e n t the r e l e a s e of some p o l i t i c a l p r i s o n e r s , a p a r t i a l l i f t i n g of the s t a t e of emergency and the imbanning of a l l p o l i t i c a l p a r t i e s and o r g a n i z a t i o n s . The r e l e a s e of N e l s o n Mandela had, however, been postponed to some u n s p e c i f i e d d a t e . While those measures were welcome and c r e a t e d a c l i m a t e conducive to a n e g o t i a t e d s e t t l e m e n t of the South A f r i c a n problem, h i s d e l e g a t i o n r e g r e t t e d t h a t they were o n l y p a r t i a l and c o n s i d e r e d t h a t the e x e r c i s e of normal c i v i l l i b e r t i e s was not p o s s i b l e i n a s i t u a t i o n where the s t a t e of emergency was o n l y r e l a x e d . A p a r t h e i d p o l i c i e s and p r a c t i c e s s t i l l had to be a b o l i s h e d i n o r d e r to a l l o w the enjoyment of htunan r i g h t s and fundamental freedoms i n South A f r i c a . 53. With r e g a r d to Namibia, the f i n d i n g s of the Ad Hoc Working Group of E x p e r t s brought l i t t l e c o m f o r t . L i k e t h e i r n e i g h b o u r s to the s o u t h , the people of Namibia had been s u b j e c t e d to the p o l i c i e s and p r a c t i c e s of apartheid. The implementation of S e c u r i t y C o u n c i l r e s o l u t i o n 435 (1978) and the t r a n s i t i o n to s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n and independence seemed to be p r o c e e d i n g on c o u r s e , f o l l o w i n g the e l e c t i o n s h e l d i n November 1989. In t h a t r e g a r d , h i s d e l e g a t i o n p a i d t r i b u t e to the men and women who had made the supreme s a c r i f i c e a t the b a t t l e of C u i t o Cuanavale and thus persuaded South A f r i c a to agree to the implementation of t h a t r e s o l u t i o n . 54. The l e s s o n to be l e a r n t from the Namibia e x p e r i e n c e was t h a t the s t r u g g l e f o r the r e s t o r a t i o n of human r i g h t s i n t h a t T e r r i t o r y had been as b i t t e r l y c o n t e s t e d as the s t r u g g l e f o r independence and s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n . The Commission s h o u l d t h e r e f o r e not r e l e n t i n the case of the human r i g h t s s i t u a t i o n i n South A f r i c a where the problem was much more complex, b u t should c o n t i n u e to c a l l f o r the a b o l i t i o n of a p a r t h e i d . I t must c o n t i n u e to demand the e s t a b l i s h m e n t of a d e m o c r a t i c s o c i e t y , which would f a c i l i t a t e r e s p e c t f o r human r i g h t s and fundamental freedoms i n t h a t c o u n t r y . 55. M i s s ATTAH ( N i g e r i a ) s a i d t h a t the f a c t t h a t the q u e s t i o n of a p a r t h e i d had been on the agenda of the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community f o r w e l l o v e r f o u r decades c o n s t i t u t e d a s e r i o u s i n d i c t m e n t of the i n t e r n a t i o n a l w i l l to end repression. 56. As a system of i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z e d r a c i s m , a p a r t h e i d was c o n t r a r y to the purposes and p r i n c i p l e s of the C h a r t e r , the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Covenetnts on Human R i g h t s and the U n i v e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n of Himian R i g h t s . Her c o u n t r y r e j e c t e d a p a r t h e i d , which was not o n l y an a f f r o n t to the c o n s c i e n c e and d i g n i t y of mankind but a l s o a crime a g a i n s t humanity. 57. The South A f r i c a n r a c i s t régime had extended i t s a g g r e s s i o n to the F r o n t - L i n e S t a t e s w i t h d e v a s t a t i n g consequences f o r the e n t i r e r e g i o n . In the p r e v i o u s decade, some 1.5 m i l l i o n l i v e s had been l o s t and the d e v a s t a t i o n had been e s t i m a t e d a t more than $60 b i l l i o n . One h a l f of the p o p u l a t i o n s of A n g o l a and Mozambique had been d i s p l a c e d a t l e a s t once because of war. In

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s h o r t , the a p a r t h e i d régime, through d i r e c t m i l i t a r y a g g r e s s i o n and support f o r r e b e l groups i n the r e g i o n , had been r e s p o n s i b l e f o r g r o s s and f l a g r a n t v i o l a t i o n s o f human r i g h t s . 58. The r e p o r t of the Sub-Commission's S p e c i a l Rapporteur on the Decade f o r A c t i o n to Combat Racism and R a c i a l D i s c r i m i n a t i o n (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1989/8 and A d d . l ) showed t h a t the s i t u a t i o n i n South A f r i c a remained unchanged. A p a r t h e i d was s t i l l i n p l a c e d e s p i t e some m a r g i n a l and cosmetic reforms. 59. The a p a r t h e i d régime c o n t i n u e d to be s t r e n g t h e n e d by e x t e r n a l f i n a n c i a l , economic a n d c u l t u r a l i n t e r e s t s . A c c o r d i n g to the r e p o r t of the Sub-Commission's S p e c i a l Rapporteur on a s s i s t a n c e g i v e n to the c o l o n i a l and r a c i s t régime i n s o u t h e r n A f r i c a (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1989/9 and A d d . l ) , many t r a n s n a t i o n a l c o r p o r a t i o n s had s o l d t h e i r South A f r i c a n a f f i l i a t e s but most of them s t i l l m a i n t a i n e d economic t i e s w i t h the a p a r t h e i d régime through the e s t a b l i s h m e n t of n o n - e q u i t y l i n k s such as l i c e n s i n g , d i s t r i b u t i o n , management, assembly o r f r a n c h i s e agreements. 60. In f a c t , the r e p o r t showed t h a t , i n s p i t e of the d i s i n v e s t m e n t programme, the n o n - e q u i t y l i n k s were more p r o f i t a b l e to the t r a n s n a t i o n a l c o r p o r a t i o n s than d i r e c t investment. A c c o r d i n g l y , they c o n t i n u e d d o i n g b u s i n e s s as u s u a l , w h i l e e n s u r i n g the s t e a d y f l o w and t r a n s f e r o f important t e c h n o l o g i e s , without which the r a c i s t régime c o u l d not s u r v i v e . 61. Given t h a t s i t u a t i o n , the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community had no c h o i c e but to i n t e n s i f y the p r e s s u r e and a p p l y comprehensive and mandatory s a n c t i o n s a g a i n s t South A f r i c a . That was the o n l y p e a c e f u l way to compel the r a c i s t régime to dismantle apartheid. 62. I f s a n c t i o n s had n o t y e t been as e f f e c t i v e as they s h o u l d be, i t was m a i n l y because they had been n e i t h e r mandatory nor comprehensive, and a l s o because s a n c t i o n - b u s t i n g a c t i v i t i e s had reduced t h e i r e f f e c t i v e n e s s . F o r i n s t a n c e , i n cases where companies had withdrawn from South A f r i c a , they had been r e p l a c e d immediately by new ones, e s p e c i a l l y from c e r t a i n A s i a n c o u n t r i e s such as the R e p u b l i c of Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. 63. However, d e s p i t e the l i m i t e d n a t u r e of the s a n c t i o n s imposed by the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community, they had undoubtedly had the d e s i r e d e f f e c t on the P r e t o r i a régime. Moreover, as a r e s u l t of "people's s a n c t i o n s " aimed a t the major banks and c o r p o r a t i o n s which d i d b u s i n e s s w i t h South A f r i c a , t h e r e had been a marked d e c l i n e i n new bank l e n d i n g and f o r e i g n investment i n South A f r i c a . C l e a r l y , t h e r e f o r e , i f the p r e s s u r e was e s c a l a t e d , the c o s t of m a i n t a i n i n g a p a r t h e i d would become p r o h i b i t i v e . 64. She took the o p p o r t u n i t y to commend those i n d i v i d u a l s , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n many Western c o u n t r i e s , and the non-governmental o r g a n i z a t i o n s to which they b e l o n g e d , whose d e m o n s t r a t i o n s and s a c r i f i c e s had promoted the campaign f o r s a n c t i o n s a g a i n s t South A f r i c a and s u c c e s s f u l l y c h a l l e n g e d the r e f o r m i n g p o s t u r e s of the r a c i s t régime. 65. S i n c e the p r e v i o u s s e s s i o n o f the Commission, t h e r e had been s i g n i f i c e m t and p o s i t i v e changes on the i n t e r n a t i o n a l scene. Super-Power r e l a t i o n s c o n t i n u e d to improve, w h i l e the r e c e n t dramatic events i n E a s t e r n Europe had

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had a p o s i t i v e e f f e c t on the human r i g h t s environment of the S t a t e s concerned. S e r i o u s e f f o r t s were b e i n g made to reduce t e n s i o n and r e s o l v e l o n g - s t a n d i n g d i s p u t e s which were a t the r o o t of massive human r i g h t s v i o l a t i o n s . 66. U n f o r t u n a t e l y , the P r e t o r i a régime had not i n d i c a t e d a to dismîintle the r e p r e s s i v e and a n a c h r o n i s t i c s t r u c t u r e s of was v e r y c o n s p i c u o u s , however, was the e f f o r t by the r a c i s t out of i t s e n c i r c l e m e n t and i s o l a t i o n by a t t e m p t i n g to take s i t u a t i o n i n E a s t e r n Europe. real willingness a p a r t h e i d . What régime to break advantage of the

67. South A f r i c a would n o t succeed i n i t s attempt to g a i n r e s p e c t a b i l i t y . The new Governments of E a s t e r n Europe were founded on r e s p e c t f o r the r i g h t s of i n d i v i d u a l s and groups and committed to the e l i m i n a t i o n of r a c i a l d i s c r i m i n a t i o n and a p a r t h e i d . A c c o r d i n g l y , they would not d i g n i f y the r a c i s t South A f r i c a n Government. She c a l l e d upon a l l S t a t e s to i n c r e a s e and e n f o r c e South A f r i c a ' s i s o l a t i o n . 68. The f a v o u r a b l e i n t e r n a t i o n a l p o l i t i c a l c l i m a t e p r o v i d e d an o p p o r t u n i t y f o r the r a c i s t régime to d i s m a n t l e a p a r t h e i d t and the A f r i c a n N a t i o n a l Congress (ANC), i n c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h the mass d e m o c r a t i c movements, had produced a p l a n which had been adopted by the Ad Hoc Committee of the O r g a n i z a t i o n of A f r i c a n U n i t y on Southern A f r i c a i n the Harare D e c l a r a t i o n of 21 August 1989. 69. The p l a n p r e s e n t e d g u i d e l i n e s f o r the commencement of n e g o t i a t i o n s aimed a t the e l i m i n a t i o n of a p a r t h e i d , i n c l u d i n g the u n c o n d i t i o n a l r e l e a s e of a l l p o l i t i c a l p r i s o n e r s and d e t a i n e e s , the w i t h d r a w a l of a l l t r o o p s from the townships, the ending o f the s t a t e of emergency and the r e p e a l of a l l l e g i s l a t i o n d e s i g n e d to c i r c u m s c r i b e p o l i t i c a l a c t i v i t y , the l i f t i n g of a l l bans and r e s t r i c t i o n s on a l l p r o s c r i b e d and r e s t r i c t e d o r g a n i z a t i o n s and p e r s o n s , and the c e s s a t i o n of a l l p o l i t i c a l t r i a l s and p o l i t i c a l e x e c u t i o n s . 70. The D e c l a r a t i o n had been endorsed by the N i n t h Conference of Heads of S t a t e o r Government of Non-Aligned C o u n t r i e s , h e l d a t B e l g r a d e i n September 1989, the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting a t K u a l a Lumpur i n 1989 and the s i x t e e n t h s p e c i a l s e s s i o n of the General Assembly on a p a r t h e i d and i t s d e s t r u c t i v e consequences i n southern A f r i c a , h e l d i n December 1989. The D e c l a r a t i o n adopted by the General Assembly a t t h a t s p e c i a l s e s s i o n a l s o p r o v i d e d g u i d e l i n e s f o r n e g o t i a t i o n s t h a t would l e a d to the e s t a b l i s h m e n t of a n o n - r a c i a l and d e m o c r a t i c s t a t e . The i n t e r n a t i o n a l community s h o u l d p r e v a i l upon South A f r i c a n o t to miss such a r a r e o p p o r t u n i t y . 71. Her Government had taken note of the i n t e n t i o n of the South A f r i c a n Government to r e l e a s e N e l s o n Mandela and o t h e r p o l i t i c a l p r i s o n e r s and to l i f t the ban on the ANC and o t h e r p o l i t i c a l groups. However, no s p e c i f i c date had been s e t f o r the r e l e a s e of Mr. Mandela and the o t h e r p o l i t i c a l p r i s o n e r s . Moreover, the South A f r i c a n P r e s i d e n t had n o t a d d r e s s e d , d i r e c t l y o r i n d i r e c t l y , the i s s u e of the t o t a l e l i m i n a t i o n of a p a r t h e i d . The t e s t of the South A f r i c a n Government's s i n c e r i t y would be i t s commitment to b e g i n a d e l i b e r a t e programme f o r the a b o l i t i o n of hundreds of s t a t u t e s and codes which c o n s t i t u t e d the p i l l a r s of a p a r t h e i d .

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72. She was d i s a p p o i n t e d a t the undeserved c r e d i t a c c o r d e d t o the South A f r i c a n P r e s i d e n t . I t was obvious t h a t some of the reforms so f a r implemented f e l l f a r s h o r t of what needed t o be done. A p a r t h e i d c o u l d n o t be t i n k e r e d w i t h o r reformed; i t had to be e n t i r e l y d i s m a n t l e d . The i n t e r n a t i o n a l community s h o u l d judge South A f r i c a by any c o n c r e t e , c r e d i b l e , c u m u l a t i v e and p r o g r e s s i v e a c t i o n s i t took to d i s m a n t l e i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z e d r a c i s m . The Commission and the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community s h o u l d n o t welcome d e c i s i o n s and a c t i o n s i n t e n d e d t o buy time f o r the a p a r t h e i d régime and thereby permit the a p a r t h e i d f o r c e s to regroup. 73. Miss CHAHABI (Observer f o r the S y r i a n Arab R e p u b l i c ) , s p e a k i n g i n e x e r c i s e o f the r i g h t of r e p l y , s a i d t h a t the o r i g i n o f the o p p o s i t i o n of the U n i t e d N a t i o n s t o r a c i a l d i s c r i m i n a t i o n was t o be foimd i n i t s C h a r t e r and the U n i v e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n of Human R i g h t s . One of the o b j e c t i v e s of the U n i t e d N a t i o n s , as s t a t e d i n i t s C h a r t e r , was to s t r e n g t h e n r e s p e c t f o r human r i g h t s and fundamental freedoms w i t h o u t any d i s c r i m i n a t i o n on grounds of r a c e , sex, language o r r e l i g i o n . 74. In s u c c e s s i v e G e n e r a l Assembly r e s o l u t i o n s , the U n i t e d N a t i o n s had condemned r a c i a l d i s c r i m i n a t i o n i n South A f r i c a , which took the form of an o f f i c i a l policy. The q u e s t i o n of a p a r t h e i d had been r a i s e d f o r the f i r s t time i n 1946, and s i n c e then, the S e c u r i t y C o u n c i l , the G e n e r a l Assembly and o t h e r U n i t e d N a t i o n s organs had approved measures f o r a d o p t i o n by the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community w i t h the aim of p u t t i n g an end to a p a r t h e i d . Such measures had i n c l u d e d a p r o h i b i t i o n on the s a l e o f weapons and m a t e r i e l t o South A f r i c a , the s u s p e n s i o n of a l l investments and new l o a n s , and r e s t r i c t i o n s on c o - o p e r a t i o n w i t h the P r e t o r i a régime i n numerous f i e l d s , i n c l u d i n g n u c l e a r weapons. 75. D e s p i t e those endeavours, however, the South A f r i c a n r a c i s t régime had never ceased i t s odious p r a c t i c e s i n v i o l a t i o n of the r i g h t s o f the South A f r i c a n p e o p l e . A c c o r d i n g to the r e p o r t of the Ad Hoc Working Group of E x p e r t s (E/CN.4/1990/7, p a r a . 41), the P r e t o r i a Government had renewed the s t a t e o f emergency i n Jime 1989. The c o u n t r y was s t i l l taider m a r t i a l law and p o l i t i c a l p r i s o n e r s were s t i l l l a n g u i s h i n g i n p r i s o n , e s p e c i a l l y N e l s o n Mandela, who had become the l o n g e s t h e l d p o l i t i c a l p r i s o n e r i n the w o r l d . A s s a s s i n a t i o n s of p o l i t i c a l a c t i v i s t s were c o n t i n u i n g . The number of death sentences imposed i n p o l i t i c a l cases had i n c r e a s e d . South A f r i c a had one of the h i g h e s t r a t e s of j u d i c i a l e x e c u t i o n s i n the w o r l d , w i t h e x e c u t i o n s exceeding 100 a y e a r i n r e c e n t y e a r s . The sentences were imposed i n an i n e q u i t a b l e manner on the b l a c k p o p u l a t i o n by a J u d i c i a r y c o n s i s t i n g e n t i r e l y of w h i t e s . The P r e t o r i a Government a l s o c a r r i e d out f o r c i b l e d e p o r t a t i o n s w i t h a view to redrawing the f r o n t i e r s o f the s o - c a l l e d "homelands". 76. Such inhuman p r a c t i c e s were not c o n f i n e d to the people of South A f r i c a , but had spread to the n e i g h b o u r i n g S t a t e s . The r u l e r s i n P r e t o r i a had spared no e f f o r t s to d e s t a b i l i z e those S t a t e s i n an attempt t o subjugate them to the wishes of the c o l o n i a l i s t régime. South A f r i c a ' s c o l o n i a l i s t and r a c i s t p o l i c y was s i m i l a r to the r e p r e s s i v e p o l i c i e s and inhuman p r a c t i c e s which I s r a e l c a r r i e d out a g a i n s t the Arab p o p u l a t i o n i n the o c c u p i e d Arab territories. That s i m i l a r i t y had been made c l e a r i n G e n e r a l Assembly r e s o l u t i o n 3379 (XXX) e q u a t i n g Zionism and r a c i s m .

E/CN.4/1990/SR.11 page 15

77. I s r a e l and South A f r i c a had s p e c i a l t i e s t h a t had never been based s o l e l y on economic c o - o p e r a t i o n but had extended to the m i l i t a r y , and p a r t i c u l a r l y the n u c l e a r f i e l d s , thereby d e f y i n g a l l r e s o l u t i o n s of the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community. Such c o - o p e r a t i o n dated from the mid-1960s and had taken v a r i o u s forms, i n c l u d i n g the p a r t i c i p a t i o n by South A f r i c a n p i l o t s , on the p r e t e x t t h a t they were Jews, i n I s r a e l ' s a g g r e s s i o n a g a i n s t the Arab n a t i o n i n 1967 and 1973, and I s r a e l ' s p r o v i s i o n of m i l i t a r y e x p e r t i s e to South A f r i c a d u r i n g a c t s of a g g r e s s i o n which i t had launched a g a i n s t A f r i c a n f r o n t - l i n e S t a t e s or d u r i n g t e r r o r i s t r e p r i s a l o p e r a t i o n s a g a i n s t b l a c k South A f r i c a n c i t i z e n s i n the mid-1980s. 78. However, such c o - o p e r a t i o n , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n the n u c l e a r f i e l d , had begun to cause i n t e r n a t i o n a l a n x i e t y i n r e c e n t y e a r s . The scope of the m i l i t a r y c o - o p e r a t i o n between the two r a c i s t régimes was e s t i m a t e d to be $30 b i l l i o n . There were a t l e a s t 17 m i l i t a r y i n s t a l l a t i o n s which engaged i n j o i n t m i l i t a r y p r o d u c t i o n f o r b o t h I s r a e l and South A f r i c a . Most were s i t u a t e d i n o c c u p i e d P a l e s t i n e and f i n a n c e d by P r e t o r i a . The two p r i n c i p a l f a c i l i t i e s produced ground-to-ground m i s s i l e s of the J e r i c h o t y p e . Those m i s s i l e s , c o u l d c a r r y n u c l e a r warheads which were b e i n g produced a t the Z i o n i s t n u c l e a r r e a c t o r a t Dimona. 79. S i n c e the b e g i n n i n g of the p r e v i o u s decade. South A f r i c a had been s u p p l y i n g I s r a e l w i t h uranium f o r p r o c e s s i n g . I s r a e l was a l s o c a r r y i n g out t e s t s i n South A f r i c a . The c o - o p e r a t i o n between the two régimes had r e c e n t l y reached i t s peak when I s r a e l had t r a n s f e r r e d U n i t e d S t a t e s m i s s i l e technology to r a c i s t South A f r i c a i n a c l a n d e s t i n e manner and c a r r i e d out f i e l d t e s t s on intercontinental b a l l i s t i c missiles. 80. The t r a n s f e r of s o p h i s t i c a t e d U n i t e d S t a t e s t e c h n o l o g y by the Z i o n i s t enemy to the South A f r i c a n régime c o n s t i t u t e d a f l a g r a n t v i o l a t i o n of the s a n c t i o n s imposed by the U n i t e d N a t i o n s and a s e r i o u s t h r e a t to i n t e r n a t i o n a l peace and s e c u r i t y . A t a time when the super-Powers were t r y i n g to r i d themselves of t h e i r n u c l e a r a r s e n a l s , the two r a c i s t régimes were expanding the scope of p r o l i f e r a t i o n of such weapons i n t o t a l d i s r e g a r d of a l l i n t e r n a t i o n a l laws and c o n v e n t i o n s . 81. A t i t s most r e c e n t s e s s i o n , the General Assembly had condemned the c o - o p e r a t i o n i n the n u c l e a r f i e l d between the Z i o n i s t e n t i t y and r a c i s t South A f r i c a and d e p l o r e d I s r a e l ' s r e f u s a l to p l a c e i t s n u c l e a r f a c i l i t i e s under the c o n t r o l of the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Atomic Energy Agency. The Assembly had a l s o c a l l e d upon a l l S t a t e s and o r g a n i z a t i o n s to cease a l l c o - o p e r a t i o n w i t h the Z i o n i s t e n t i t y i n the n u c l e a r f i e l d . The Western S t a t e s which c o n s t a n t l y supported I s r a e l and South A f r i c a must t h e r e f o r e review t h e i r p o s i t i o n s i n the l i g h t of the r e c e n t developments which had c l e a r l y shown the p o l i c i e s of those régimes to be based on p e r s e c u t i o n and disenfranchisement. 82. Her Government s t r o n g l y condemned the a p a r t h e i d régime and had been among the f i r s t to s i g n the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Convention on the S u p p r e s s i o n and Punishment of the Crime of A p a r t h e i d . 83. She c a l l e d upon the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community to i n t e n s i f y i t s e f f o r t s to i s o l a t e South A f r i c a and impose the s t r i c t e s t s a n c t i o n s upon i t , s i n c e t h a t was the o n l y way to e l i m i n a t e a p a r t h e i d . She a l s o supported the s t r u g g l e of the b l a c k m a j o r i t y of South A f r i c a to e s t a b l i s h a f r e e , democratic and

E/CN.4/1990/SR.ll page 16

n o n - r a c i a l s o c i e t y i n which a l l the n a t i o n a l a s p i r a t i o n s of the people of South A f r i c a would be f u l f i l l e d i n a s p i r i t of freedom, j u s t i c e and e q u a l i t y . 84. Mr. LITTMAN (World Union f o r P r o g r e s s i v e J u d a i s m ) , h a v i n g p o i n t e d out t h a t r a c i a l d i s c r i m i n a t i o n had always been r e j e c t e d i n J e w i s h t r a d i t i o n , s a i d h i s o r g a n i z a t i o n u n e q u i v o c a l l y condemned the abhorrent system of a p a r t h e i d . However, the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community s h o u l d h o l d i t s hand f o r the moment and g i v e P r e s i d e n t de K l e r k the encouragement he needed to go forward w i t h change and implement the i d e a s c o n t a i n e d i n h i s r e c e n t e n l i g h t e n e d speech. I t was the wrong time f o r f u r t h e r economic s a n c t i o n s . More moderate U n i t e d N a t i o n s r e s o l u t i o n s would h e l p the Government of South A f r i c a a l o n g the road of reform to end a p a r t h e i d . Changes i n the a t t i t u d e s of the o u t s i d e w o r l d might thus c o n t r i b u t e to r e b u i l d i n g a d i v i d e d s o c i e t y a l o n g n o n - r a c i a l , d e m o c r a t i c l i n e s . 85. U n f o r t x m a t e l y , the Sub-Commission on P r e v e n t i o n of D i s c r i m i n a t i o n and P r o t e c t i o n of M i n o r i t i e s , by a d o p t i n g on 31 August 1989 a v i r t u a l l y unmodified r e s o l u t i o n on the s i t u a t i o n i n South A f r i c a ( r e s o l u t i o n 1989/3), had i g n o r e d the meeting between P r e s i d e n t de K l e r k and P r e s i d e n t Kaunda of Zambia, chairman of the s i x F r o n t - L i n e S t a t e s t h a t had taken p l a c e , j u s t two days p r e v i o u s l y and, more g e n e r a l l y , the changes upon which the Government of South A f r i c a was a t t e m p t i n g to embark. Furthermore, the r e s o l u t i o n c a l l e d upon the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community to c o n t i n u e i t s e f f o r t s towards t o t a l economic, c u l t u r a l and p o l i t i c a l i s o l a t i o n of the South A f r i c a n a p a r t h e i d régime and c a l l e d f o r immediate and complete d i s i n v e s t m e n t , whereas a massive i n j e c t i o n of investment c a p i t a l was needed f o r economic development, e d u c a t i o n and t r a i n i n g , which would b e n e f i t the p o s t - a p a r t h e i d s o c i e t y w h i l e p u n i t i v e measures would wreck the economy and b r i n g chaos to b o t h South A f r i c a and i t s n e i g h b o u r s , which were h e a v i l y dependent upon i t . 86. What the Sub-Commission had r e f u s e d to take i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n was understood by the General Assembly, which a t i t s most r e c e n t s e s s i o n , had a b s t a i n e d from i n t r o d u c i n g f u r t h e r s a n c t i o n s and had i m p l i c i t l y r e l a x e d c u r r e n t embargoes on South A f r i c a . In :the meantime, e i g h t prominent b l a c k South A f r i c a n p o l i t i c a l p r i s o n e r s had been u n c o n d i t i o n a l l y r e l e a s e d , the Separate A m e n i t i e s A c t was soon to be r e p e a l e d and P r e s i d e n t de K l e r k ' s courageous opening speech i n the South A f r i c a n P a r l i a m e n t on 2 F e b r u a r y 1990 h e l d the promise of f u t u r e improved c o n d i t i o n s i n South A f r i c a . 87. N e l s o n Mandela'* imminent u n c o n d i t i o n a l r e l e a s e was e x c e l l e n t news; o n l y h i s a u t h o r i t y would be s t r o n g enough to curb the e x t r e m i s t s i n the townships, keep the c h i l d r e n a t s c h o o l and s t o p i n t e r n e c i n e s t r i f e . H i s presence was v i t a l to n e g o t i a t i o n s on s h a r i n g power w i t h the Government of South A f r i c a and on b r i n g i n g a new c o n s t i t u t i o n i n t o b e i n g . The removal of the ban on the A f r i c a n N a t i o n a l Congress (ANC), the Pan A f r i c a n i s t Congress o f A z a n i a (PAC) and the South A f r i c a n Commvinist P a r t y , the l i f t i n g of r e s t r i c t i o n s on 33 o r g a n i z a t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g the U n i t e d Democratic F r o n t (UDF), the removal of r e s t r i c t i o n s on r e l e a s e d d e t a i n e e s and the r e p e a l of most p r e s s c e n s o r s h i p were s t e p s towards f u l l implementation of c i v i l r i g h t s i n South A f r i c a . The expressed i n t e n t to change the law on the death p e n a l t y was p a r t i c u l a r l y welcome. 88. In view of the imprecedented changes throughout the w o r l d i n the past y e a r , i t was to be hoped t h a t the Commission would g i v e e v e r y p o s s i b l e

E/CN.4/1990/SR.ll page 17

encouragement to the ongoing attempt a t mutual r e c o n c i l i a t i o n and r e c o n s t r u c t i o n i n South A f r i c a ; such a r e a l i s t i c p o l i c y would have a most b e n e f i c i a l e f f e c t throughout southern A f r i c a . 89. In view of the t r a g i c events i n B e i r u t , where f r a t r i c i d a l bombings had caused the death of more than 300 persons over the p a s t week, he appealed to the Commission to c a l l upon the v a r i o u s C h r i s t i a n f o r c e s i n Lebanon to cease the bombardment of the c i v i l i a n p o p u l a t i o n . 90. The CHAIRMAN reminded d e l e g a t i o n s agenda items under c o n s i d e r a t i o n . 91.
Mrst

t h a t they s h o u l d

speak o n l y to

the

Regazzoli (Argentina) took thg Chair.

92. Ms. BAILLON ( I n t e r n a t i o n a l F e d e r a t i o n - T e r r e des Hommes) s a i d t h a t the F e d e r a t i o n was s t i l l concerned about the d i s c r i m i n a t i o n and v i o l e n c e a g a i n s t b l a c k c h i l d r e n i n South A f r i c a . As a r e s u l t of the system of s e p a r a t e e d u c a t i o n , o n l y 42 per cent of b l a c k p u p i l s had passed the s c h o o l - l e a v i n g examinations i n November 1989, of whom l e s s than 10 per cent had reached u n i v e r s i t y entrance l e v e l - a drop of 12 per cent i n the success r a t e compared to the p r e v i o u s y e a r , whereas the success r a t e f o r w h i t e p u p i l s had been 95 per c e n t . 93. Those r e s u l t s r e f l e c t e d the i n e q u a l i t i e s of the South A f r i c a n e d u c a t i o n a l system and the d e f i c i e n c i e s i n the e d u c a t i o n imparted to b l a c k c h i l d r e n : i n f a c t , the Government spent f o u r times as much on a w h i t e c h i l d ' s e d u c a t i o n as on t h a t of a b l a c k c h i l d . Moreover, many b l a c k c h i l d r e n were unable to e n r o l due to l a c k of s c h o o l p l a c e s , whereas many w h i t e s c h o o l s had had to c l o s e due to l a c k of p u p i l s . A l t h o u g h some 2 m i l l i o n non-white c h i l d r e n were thus unable to a t t e n d s c h o o l , they were not b e i n g d e p r i v e d of the r i g h t to e d u c a t i o n a c c o r d i n g to South A f r i c a n law, which deemed t h e i r e d u c a t i o n a p r i v i l e g e not an o b l i g a t i o n . Even those c h i l d r e n who d i d a t t e n d s c h o o l lacked s c h o o l equipment, the b u i l d i n g s were o f t e n d i l a p i d a t e d and some 75 per cent of t h e i r t e a c h e r s l a c k e d the r e q u i s i t e p r o f e s s i o n a l t r a i n i n g . 94. P u p i l s ' o r g a n i z a t i o n s had f o r y e a r s been r e j e c t i n g the system of separate education. Demonstrations and b o y c o t t s had reached c o n s i d e r a b l e l e v e l s s i n c e August 1989, but had met w i t h r e p r e s s i o n throughout the c o u n t r y by Government forces: temporary c l o s u r e of s c h o o l s , a r r e s t and s u r v e i l l a n c e of p u p i l s , and t h r e a t s a g a i n s t p a r e n t s ' and p u p i l s ' o r g a n i z a t i o n s . 95. On 30 August 1989, t h r e e s c h o o l c h i l d r e n had been wounded when the p o l i c e opened f i r e w i t h i n West Ridge High S c h o o l . Such a c t s of v i o l e n c e were a f e a t u r e of the r e p r e s s i o n a g a i n s t the c h i l d r e n ' s a n t i - a p a r t h e i d movement, as were harassment, p s y c h o l o g i c a l p r e s s u r e , a r r e s t , t o r t u r e and k i l l i n g by the p o l i c e , armed f o r c e s and " v i g i l a n t e s " or o t h e r armed groups. 96. The a n t i - a p a r t h e i d o r g a n i z a t i o n s e s t i m a t e d t h a t , s i n c e the s t a t e of emergency was d e c l a r e d i n 1986, tens of thousands of c h i l d r e n had been a r r e s t e d and imprisoned, the i n t e r n a l s e c u r i t y l e g i s l a t i o n h a v i n g a n n u l l e d the l e g a l p r o v i s i o n s f o r c h i l d p r o t e c t i o n . C h i l d r e n were b e i n g h e l d i n p r e - t r i a l d e t e n t i o n f o r i n d e f i n i t e p e r i o d s , some b e i n g h e l d i n s o l i t a r y confinement and incommunicado. Some a l s o had been s u b j e c t e d to t o r t u r e and i l l - t r e a t m e n t and had had death t h r e a t s made a g a i n s t t h e i r p a r e n t s .

E/CN.A/1990/SR.ll page 18

97. Most of them had never i n f a c t been brought to t r i a l a t a l l , but those who had been found g u i l t y of v i o l e n t breaches of the peace were h e l d i n a d u l t p r i s o n s because of the l a c k of d e t e n t i o n c e n t r e s f o r m i n o r s . Among d e t a i n e d m i n o r s , the s i t u a t i o n of b a b i e s b o m i n p r i s o n , o r i n f a n t s accompanying t h e i r mothers to p r i s o n , s h o u l d not be f o r g o t t e n . M e d i c a l r e p o r t s had t e s t i f i e d to the p h y s i c a l and p s y c h o l o g i c a l e f f e c t s of imprisonment on c h i l d r e n . 98. As a r e s u l t of the 1987 I n t e r n a t i o n a l Conference on C h i l d r e n , R e p r e s s i o n , and the Law i n A p a r t h e i d South A f r i c a and i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r e s s u r e , the p r o p o r t i o n of minors among p o l i t i c a l d e t a i n e e s had f a l l e n from 34 per cent i n 1986 to 10 per cent i n mid-1989. In o r d e r to m a i n t a i n s t r i c t c o n t r o l over the yoxing p e o p l e , however, the a u t h o r i t i e s c u r r e n t l y p r e f e r r e d r e s t r i c t i o n s on young people and y o u t h o r g a n i z a t i o n s , which l i m i t e d t h e i r freedom of movement and a c t i v i t i e s , such as d a i l y r e p o r t i n g to the p o l i c e , and a ban on meeting more than 10 p e r s o n s , which i n t e r r u p t e d s c h o o l a t t e n d a n c e . There was a l s o p r e s s u r e to i n f o r m on f r i e n d s i n v o l v e d i n p o l i t i c a l a c t i v i t i e s . 99. Young c h i l d r e n had o f t e n been among those k i l l e d and wounded when p o l i c e opened f i r e to d i s p e r s e d e m o n s t r a t i o n s . Many c h i l d r e n who had f l e d from v i o l e n c e and r e p r e s s i o n had become homeless, d e l i n q u e n t , members of gangs and drug a d d i c t s ; r e c e n t r e p o r t s suggested t h a t the p o l i c e had provoked i n t e r - g a n g r i v a l r y to c r e a t e u n r e s t i n c e r t a i n q u a r t e r s . 100. Because of the c o n s t a n t v i o l a t i o n of b l a c k c h i l d r e n ' s r i g h t s i n South A f r i c a , her o r g a n i z a t i o n recommended t h a t the Commission s h o u l d urge the South A f r i c a n Government to r a t i f y the new Convention on the R i g h t s of the C h i l d , s h o u l d p u b l i c i z e as w i d e l y as p o s s i b l e the s i t u a t i o n of b l a c k South A f r i c a n c h i l d r e n , e s p e c i a l l y those d e t a i n e d or on p r o b a t i o n and should i n v i t e the Member S t a t e s to encourage t h e i r n a t i o n a l c h i l d - p r o t e c t i o n o r g a n i z a t i o n s to support the a n t i - a p a r t h e i d o r g a n i z a t i o n s i n South A f r i c a . 101. Mr. NOORANI ( I n d i a ) s a i d t h a t , as h i s c o u n t r y ' s l e a d e r s i n i t s independence s t r u g g l e had always s t a t e d , freedom must be c o n s i d e r e d incomplete u n t i l a l l the p e o p l e s xmder c o l o n i a l domination had a c h i e v e d t h e i r freedom. The most r e p u l s i v e f e a t u r e of c o l o n i a l e x p l o i t a t i o n was r a c i s m , which was nowhere more i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z e d than i n the a p a r t h e i d system of South A f r i c a . That system was i n d i r e c t c o n f l i c t w i t h the C h a r t e r and the U n i v e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n of Human R i g h t s , and the Commission would be f a i l i n g i n i t s duty i f i t d i d n o t l e n d i t s f u l l weight to the s t r u g g l e a g a i n s t i t . 102. The winds of change t h a t had blown Namibia toward independence had a l s o been f e l t i n n e i g h b o u r i n g South A f r i c a , where many w h i t e c i t i z e n s had become c o n s c i o u s of the need to d i s m a n t l e the a p a r t h e i d system c o m p l e t e l y . His Government welcomed the p o s i t i v e measures annoimced by the P r e s i d e n t of South A f r i c a , i n c l u d i n g the l i f t i n g of the ban on the ANC and PAC, the s u s p e n s i o n of the death p e n a l t y , the r e l e a s e of some p o l i t i c a l p r i s o n e r s , the ending of media r e s t r i c t i o n s and the l i f t i n g of r e s t r i c t i o n s on former detainees. 103. I t was dismayed, however, t h a t N e l s o n Mandela was s t i l l i n p r i s o n , t h a t the s t a t e of emergency was s t i l l i n f o r c e and t h a t , more d a n g e r o u s l y , " p o l i t i c a l " o f f e n c e s had n o t been d e f i n e d . I t was concerned t h a t d e t e n t i o n w i t h o u t t r i a l was b e i n g m a i n t a i n e d under the s e c u r i t y r e g u l a t i o n s , and t h a t l e g i s l a t i o n based on a p a r t h e i d was s t i l l i n p l a c e .

E/CN.4/1990/SR.11 page 19

104. In s h o r t , w h i l e welcoming the movement towards n e g o t i a t i o n s , h i s d e l e g a t i o n d i d not b e l i e v e t h a t the steps t h a t had been taken were adequate. I t was too e a r l y to judge. S u g g e s t i o n s t h a t a p a r t h e i d was b e i n g reformed were m i s l e a d i n g ; a p a r t h e i d c o u l d n o t be reformed, o n l y d i s m a n t l e d . World p u b l i c o p i n i o n , which had prompted the s t e p s a l r e a d y taken, must c o n t i n u e to support the s t r u g g l e w i t h i n South A f r i c a to end the h o r r o r of a p a r t h e i d and to put p r e s s u r e on the South A f r i c a n a u t h o r i t i e s to meet a l l the p r e - c o n d i t i o n s agreed upon i n the D e c l a r a t i o n on A p a r t h e i d and i t s D e s t r u c t i v e Consequences i n Southern A f r i c a , r e c e n t l y adopted by the G e n e r a l Assembly. 105. The words of the P r e s i d e n t of South A f r i c a about the need f o r t m i v e r s a l frîuichise, e q t i a l i t y and the d i s m a n t l i n g of a p a r t h e i d must be matched by a c t s . P e a c e f u l t r a n s i t i o n to a u n i t a r y , n o n - r a c i a l and d e m o c r a t i c South A f r i c a c o u l d be a c h i e v e d o n l y through n e g o t i a t i o n s between P r e t o r i a and the South A f r i c a n People's genuine r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s as f r e e and e q u a l p a r t n e r s . 106. U n t i l t h e n , i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r e s s u r e on the South A f r i c a n Government, i n c l u d i n g the enforcement of comprehensive and mandatory s a n c t i o n s , s h o u l d be m a i n t a i n e d . There was c o n v i n c i n g evidence t h a t s a n c t i o n s had worked; they s h o u l d be extended i n range and scope so as n o t to l o s e the momentimi so p a i n f u l l y g a i n e d when success was i n s i g h t . I t was dismaying t h a t some c o u n t r i e s sought to ease t h a t p r e s s u r e , but s a n c t i o n s c o u l d and s h o u l d be r e l a x e d o n l y a f t e r genuine change had been e f f e c t e d . 107. The movement of the Non-Aligned C o i m t r i e s had, from i t s i n c e p t i o n , been i n the f o r e f r o n t of the s t r u g g l e a g a i n s t a p a r t h e i d . I t had s e t up a Fimd to p r o v i d e emergency a s s i s t a n c e to the F r o n t - L i n e S t a t e s and the n a t i o n a l l i b e r a t i o n movements i n s o u t h e r n A f r i c a ; the Fund had r e c e i v e d e n c o u r a g i n g s u p p o r t , w i t h p l e d g e s amounting to n e a r l y h a l f a b i l l i o n d o l l a r s . I t was hoped t h a t such i n t e r n a t i o n a l s o l i d a r i t y would be r e i n f o r c e d through s a n c t i o n s a p p l i e d by c o u n t r i e s i n a p o s i t i o n to s t r e n g t h e n them e f f e c t i v e l y and whose r e s p o n s i b i l i t y i n t h a t r e g a r d c o u l d not be evaded. 108. He r e i t e r a t e d I n d i a ' s t o t a l o p p o s i t i o n to the p o l i c y of r a c i a l d i s c r i m i n a t i o n whenever, wherever and i n whatever form i t was p r a c t i s e d . I n d i a ' s l i n k s w i t h the s t r u g g l e i n South A f r i c a stemmed from the t u r n of the century. A l t h o u g h many n a t i o n s had gained independence s i n c e then, and the d e m o c r a t i c p r o c e s s had g a t h e r e d momentum, the m a j o r i t y of South A f r i c a n s remained d i s e n f r a n c h i s e d and d e p r i v e d - a s t a t e of a f f a i r s which must end. A p a r t h e i d was the most t r a g i c anachronism of the times, and a l l must a c t t o g e t h e r to f a c i l i t a t e i t s e a r l y d i s a p p e a r a n c e .

The meeting rose at l p.m.