The role of the UNO in dismantling Apartheid.
UNO's first General Assembly in 1946 called upon the racist regime in South Africa to abide by the UN principles of racial equality.
In 1948, the UNO issued a document called "the Universal Declaration of Human Rights". It defined apartheid as an evil against man kind which had to be dismantled in the whole world. South Africa inclusive.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the UNO constantly appealed to the South African government to remove apartheid from its constitution.
After the 1960 Sharpeville massacres, the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council met and condemned apartheid . It threatened South Africa with Sanctions-
In 1961, the UN General Assembly adopted the use of sanctions against South Africa. It recommended the closure of South African embassies, discouraging migrations to South Africa etc.
In 1962, the UN General Assembly identified apartheid as a threat to world peace and harmony. Consequently, a special UN committee against apartheid was formed in the same year.
In 1964, the UN Security Council imposed an arms ban on South Africa. All UN members especially USA and Britain were expected to stop supplying arms to South Africa- USA and Britain took the lead.
In 1965, an international convention on apartheid outlawed all forms of racism.
South Africa had been under the UN trusteeship council. Due to excessive apartheid however, the UN withdrew its trusteeship over South Africa and this greatly damaged the image of South Africa.
The UNO accepted the demands of Afro-Asians to expel South Africa from international bodies like the WHO, ILO and FAO. Hence South Africa was expelled from all such organisations in 1968.
However, for long, the UN sanctions proved fruitless because of the following;
- South Africa's strong economy
- South Africa's ability to manufacture her own weapons.
- UNO's inability to supervise the fulfillment of sanctions.
- Failure by the UNO to penalise countries that violated the sanctions against South Africa.
- Some UN member states had vested economic interests in South Africa. Even the USA itself was comfortable with capitalist South Africa because it checked against the spread of communist ideas from Angola and Mozambique.
However, world pressure made Pieter. Botha to reform apartheid and when Fredrick De Clerke rose to power in 1989, he took positive steps that finally dismantled the official apartheid. Hence in 1994, multi-racial elections were held and won by Nelson Mandela of the ANC.
In 1948, the UNO issued a document called "the Universal Declaration of Human Rights". It defined apartheid as an evil against man kind which had to be dismantled in the whole world. South Africa inclusive.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the UNO constantly appealed to the South African government to remove apartheid from its constitution.
After the 1960 Sharpeville massacres, the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council met and condemned apartheid . It threatened South Africa with Sanctions-
In 1961, the UN General Assembly adopted the use of sanctions against South Africa. It recommended the closure of South African embassies, discouraging migrations to South Africa etc.
In 1962, the UN General Assembly identified apartheid as a threat to world peace and harmony. Consequently, a special UN committee against apartheid was formed in the same year.
In 1964, the UN Security Council imposed an arms ban on South Africa. All UN members especially USA and Britain were expected to stop supplying arms to South Africa- USA and Britain took the lead.
In 1965, an international convention on apartheid outlawed all forms of racism.
South Africa had been under the UN trusteeship council. Due to excessive apartheid however, the UN withdrew its trusteeship over South Africa and this greatly damaged the image of South Africa.
The UNO accepted the demands of Afro-Asians to expel South Africa from international bodies like the WHO, ILO and FAO. Hence South Africa was expelled from all such organisations in 1968.
However, for long, the UN sanctions proved fruitless because of the following;
- South Africa's strong economy
- South Africa's ability to manufacture her own weapons.
- UNO's inability to supervise the fulfillment of sanctions.
- Failure by the UNO to penalise countries that violated the sanctions against South Africa.
- Some UN member states had vested economic interests in South Africa. Even the USA itself was comfortable with capitalist South Africa because it checked against the spread of communist ideas from Angola and Mozambique.
However, world pressure made Pieter. Botha to reform apartheid and when Fredrick De Clerke rose to power in 1989, he took positive steps that finally dismantled the official apartheid. Hence in 1994, multi-racial elections were held and won by Nelson Mandela of the ANC.
National Movements and New States in Africa