NMF Shared Humanity Booklet

OUR SHARED HUMANITY IN ACTION Reflecting On The United Nations (UN) Special Committee Against Apartheid

An Exhibition by the NELSON MANDELA FOUNDATION

The bench is empty but this young black woman in a Johannesburg railway station would be breaking the law if she sat on it. 1 January 1982.

UN Photo/DB media.un.org/photo/en/asset/oun7/ oun712328

CONTENTS BACKGROUND 6 MANDATE 7 MEMBERSHIP 7 8 COMMITTEE’S ACTIONS AGAINST APARTHEID 1963 - 1969 8 1970 - 1975 8 1976 - 1979 9 1980 - 1984 9 1985 - 1989 10 12 FAILURES OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY 14 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA) ISRAEL 15 THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK) 16 FRANCE 16 17 EXAMPLES OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY PERU 18 INDIA 18 LEBANON 18 19 NORWAY DENMARK 19 MORE EXAMPLES OF OUR 20 SHARED HUMANITY CREDITS 22

Meeting reporters at a press conference are, from left: Sam Ramsamy (Chairman, South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee); Abraham Ordia (President, Supreme Council for Sport in South Africa); Ampin D.J. Blakson (Charge d�Affaires, Permanent Mission of Nigeria); and Enuga Reddy (Director, UN Centre Against Apartheid).

31 March 1980.

UN Photo/Saw Lwin https://media.un.org/photo/en/asset/oun7/oun7713291

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Nelson Mandela addresses the Special Committee Against Apartheid in the General Assembly Hall. 22 June 1990.

UN Photo/P. Sudhakaran. www.unmultimedia.org/photo/

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“We also take this opportunity to salute the Special Committee against Apartheid, which has been and is a very important instrument in our struggle against the iniquitous and oppressive policies of the South African Government. We salute also the States that make up its membership...

We also take this opportunity to extend warm greetings to all others who fight for their liberation and their human rights, including the peoples of Palestine and Western Sahara. We commend their struggles to you, convinced that we are all moved by the fact that freedom is indivisible, convinced that the denial of the rights of one diminishes the freedom of others.”

Nelson Mandela, 641st meeting of the Special Committee Against Apartheid, 22 June 1990

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BACKGROUND The Security Council, in the final day of its meetings in Panama City, observed the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 21 March 1973.

UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata www.flickr.com/photos/un_ photo/3312299878

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he Special Committee Against Apartheid was established by the UN General Assembly on 6 November 1962.

Originally named the Special Committee on the Policies of Apartheid of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, it was renamed in 1975 to better reflect its advocacy against apartheid. The Committee held its first meeting in April 1963 and was disbanded in June 1994, following South Africa’s first democratic elections.

THE UN SPECIAL COMMITTEE AGAINST APARTHEID IS A DEMONSTRATION OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY IN ACTION. 6

MANDATE

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hile initially tasked with assessing and reporting on South Africa’s racial situation, it also began to actively promote the international campaign against apartheid. The Committee worked on UN resolutions, advocated for boycotts and sanctions, lobbied member states, organised conferences, collaborated with UN organs and NGOs as well as raised awareness through various mediums including reports and educational materials. It was also comprised of various sub-committees and task forces.

Lakshmi Menon of India addresses the Security Council on sponsoring a resolution to call on the apartheid government in South Africa to end the Rivonia trial. 8 June 1964.

UN Photo/ Yutaka Nagata media.un.org/photo/en/ search?query=UN7758436

MEMBERSHIP

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he Committee initially had 11 members: Algeria, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Hungary, Federation of Malaya (later Malaysia), Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, and Somalia. Over time its membership evolved but Western powers and South Africa’s major trading partners declined to join the Committee. It was always chaired by an African, with Nigerian representatives serving as chair from 1976 - 1994.

COMMITTEE CHAIRMANSHIP 1963-1964 1964-1968 1969-1972 1972-1975 1975-1976 1976-1979 1979-1981 1981-1983 1984-1990 1990-1994

Diallo Telli (Guinea) Achkar Marof (Guinea) Abdulrahim Abby Farah (Somalia) Edwin Ogebe Ogbu (Nigeria) Madame Jeanne Martin Cisse (Guinea) Leslie O. Harriman (Nigeria) B. Akoporde Clark (Nigeria) Alhaji Yusuf Maitama-Sule (Nigeria) Major-General J.N Garba (Nigeria) Ibrahim A. Gambari (Nigeria)

Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (left) holding a meeting in his United Nations Headquarters office with Alhaji Yusuf Maitama-Sule (Nigeria), Chairman of the Special Committee Against Apartheid.

11 January 1982.

UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata media.un.org/photo/en/asset/oun7/ oun7701918

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COMMITTEE’S ACTIONS AGAINST APARTHEID 1963 - 1969

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he Committee initiated international outreach and discussions with various Foreign Ministers to discuss anti-apartheid measures. It encouraged support for antiapartheid movements and collaborated with UN agencies.

1970 - 1975

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he Committee increased its global presence, holding a range of meetings in Geneva, Brussels, Paris and Addis Ababa.

In 1974, the Committee played a crucial role in the adoption of the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid by the UN General Assembly.

The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) held a march and festival on 28 June 1986, the culmination of a month-long intensive campaign for sanctions.

NMF Poster Collection

Committee consultation meetings on the anti-apartheid struggle in Geneva. 31 May 1974.

UN Photo www.media.un.org/photo/en/asset/ oun7/oun7726618

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1976 - 1979

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A general view of the opening meeting of the World Conference for Action Against Apartheid, Lagos, Nigeria. 22 August 1977.

UN Photo/J Riedel https://www.flickr.com/photos/un photo/3311467345

he Committee recognised the right of oppressed South Africans to “use all necessary means, including armed struggle” as this right was being denied by the very countries who played an enabling role to the racist regime. In 1977, the Committee hosted the World Conference for Action Against Apartheid with more than 400 delegates from 112 states. In 1978, the Committee established an award to honour significant contributors to the anti-apartheid movement, with the first recipients being: Canon L. John Collins; Michael Manley; Olof Palme; General Murtala Mohammed; Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru; Dr. Kwame Nkrumah; and Paul Robeson.

Kader Asmal from the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement addresses the Special Committee on the Plight of South African Women and Workers under Apartheid. 26 March 1981.

UN Photo/Saw Lwin https://media.un.org/photo/en/asset/oun7/oun7741140

1980 - 1984

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n 1981, the Committee published the first register of people and organisations who had sports contacts with South Africa. Persons who undertook not to participate in further sports events in South Africa were deleted from it. The Committee was represented at conferences such as the Conference of West European Parliamentarians on Sanctions against South Africa (1982) and organised conferences such as the Conference of Arab Solidarity with the Struggle for Liberation in Southern Africa (1984).

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1985 - 1989

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he third register of entertainers, actors and others who had performed in South Africa was published by the Committee in 1986 - the names of persons who pledged not to perform again were removed. An International Seminar on the UN Arms Embargo against South Africa was held in London that year. The Chairman of the Special Committee also undertook missions to address international action against apartheid - one in 1985 to the Republic of Korea, Japan, and China, and another in 1986 to Western European countries.

Dennis Brutus, Chairperson of the International Campaign against Racism in Sport attending a hearing on sports and apartheid held by the Special committee Against Apartheid. 28 March 1980.

UN Photo/Saw Lwin https://media.un.org/photo/en/asset/oun7/oun7605448

Special Committee Against Apartheid Report, 1983

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“During the struggle against apartheid, the Special Committee found it essential to promote the establishment of funds and agencies outside the United Nations (UN), with the assistance of committed Governments and NGOs, to supplement and support UN action, as they were able to do what UN organs could not”

Enuga Reddy (Former Principal Secretary of the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid and Director of the Centre Against Apartheid)

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FAILURES OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY

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“The Special Committee, therefore, cannot but express its utmost regret at the policies and actions of the Governments which have found common interests with the Pretoria regime and provided it comfort and encouragement in the pursuit of its crimes against Africa and against humanity. It must make special mention of the Government of the United States of America and the Governments of certain other Western Powers, notably the United Kingdom, as well as the regime of Israel.”

Special Committee Against Apartheid Report, 1984

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA)

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or decades, the Special Committee criticised the USA for its response to apartheid including their blocking of UN resolutions.

In the early 1980s, President Ronald Reagan’s administration adopted a policy of constructive engagement which paved the way for many exports to South Africa that was previously blocked including nuclear-related materials and equipment used by the South African police. This approach led to the easing of the arms embargo, which strengthened and protected the apartheid regime.

In 1986, about 100 major USA corporations had South African subsidiaries or affiliates, and around 6 000 USA companies had business connections.

Newspaper report describing a meeting between Prime Minister John Vorster and United States Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. September 1976.

IMS Vintage Photos IMS SKU: SCAN-TT-00738879

Special Committee Against Apartheid report, 1982

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ISRAEL

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hile Israel was initially critical of the Apartheid regime, cooperation between the two countries strengthened. In 1974, Israel upgraded its diplomatic mission in South Africa to an embassy, in “flagrant violation of the resolutions of the General Assembly”. Given the concerns regarding the relationship between Israel and Apartheid South Africa, the General Assembly passed a resolution in 1981 condemning their continued and increased collaboration especially in the military and nuclear fields, and requested the Special Committee to keep their relationship under constant review. In 1983, the International Conference on the Alliance between South Africa and Israel was held.

Front page headline, Anti-Apartheid News, May 1976 Special Committee Against Apartheid Report, 1981

Special Committee Against Apartheid Report, 1983

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THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK)

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partheid South Africa increased its exports to the UK by 97%, while its UK imports increased by 47% between 1962 and 1968. In breach of UN Security Council resolutions, the UK provided aircraft and other military equipment and spare parts to the apartheid government. In 1987, the UK had the greatest number of companies with investments in apartheid South Africa and was the country’s largest foreign investor accounting for about 40% of all foreign direct investment.

Special Committee Against Apartheid Report, 1965

FRANCE

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n 1960, France and the UK abstained from a UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution calling on South Africa to end apartheid. In 1972, France was the only country that did not vote for a UNSC Resolution which condemned apartheid, recognised the anti-apartheid struggle and called for strict enforcement of the arms embargo. The Special Committee criticised France on several occasions for blocking stronger sanctions against South Africa and profiting from the apartheid system.

Special Committee Against Apartheid Report, 1981

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EXAMPLES OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY IN ACTION

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he Committee reported not only on examples of collaboration with the apartheid state but also examples of countries and formations playing their part in the elimination of apartheid. In this regard, examples of our shared humanity in action included:

PERU Peru formally pledged to deny permits to South African athletes in 1974.

INDIA India was one of the first countries to impose economic and diplomatic sanctions against South Africa.

LEBANON Lebanon severed relations, including diplomatic and economic, with South Africa in the mid-1970s

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NORWAY Norway was the largest contributor to the United Nations Trust Fund for Publicity against Apartheid since its inception in 1975.

DENMARK Denmark denied visas to South African tennis players who intended to participate in a Danish indoor championship in 1982

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MORE EXAMPLES OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY In 1987, five United States film-makers on behalf of 100 film-makers wrote to President Ronald Reagan urging him to fully support the cultural boycott against South Africa.

In the mid-1980s, the Committee praised the Nordic Governments for imposing tough measures against the apartheid regime

Heavyweight boxer Mohammad Ali declined invitations to visit apartheid South Africa because of his belief in freedom and human rights

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Nelson Mandela, the then Deputy President of the African National Congress arrives at the United Nations to address the Special Committee Against Apartheid in the General Assembly. 22 June 1990.

UN Photo. Pernaca Sudhakaran https://media.un.org/photo/en/asset/oun7/ oun7779454

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CREDITS This exhibition was conceptualised and researched by the Dialogue & Advocacy and Archive & Research teams at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and produced in collaboration with Dreamfuel Media. A special thanks also to Eva Kate Probus and Slate Taylor who assisted with research.

NELSON MANDELA FOUNDATION • Dialogue and Advocacy: Sumaya Hendricks, Tayla Johnson, Nomahlozi Ramohloki, Lutfiyah Suliman and Samantha Mashapa • Archives and Research: Razia Saleh, Ann-Young Maharaj, Zandile Myeka and Sophia Duiker DREAMFUEL MEDIA • Visual design, layout and construction, and video production ARCHIVAL RESOURCES • JSTOR Collection: United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid Reports • South African History Archive • United Nations Media: Audiovisual Library • Flicker: Archive on photos of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid • Nelson Mandela Foundation poster collection

Nelson Mandela Foundation 107 Central Street, Houghton, Johannesburg, 2198, South Africa Tel: +27 (0)11 547 5600 F NelsonMandela F NelsonMandelaFoundation T @NelsonMandela IG NelsonMandelaFoundationSA info@nelsonmandela.org www.nelsonmandela.org