RACE POLICIES IN AFRICA

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27149, 19 September 1953, Page 7

RACE POLICIES IN AFRICA

Inclusion On U.N. Agenda (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, September 17. Over the protests of South Africa the United Nations General Assembly today voted to debate the issues of the treatment of Indians in South Africa and the Union Government’s policy of apartheid. The Assembly admitted the first question to the agenda by 45 votes to 1 (South Africa), with 11 abstentions. The vote to include the apartheid question was 46 to 7, with seven abstentions. The first vote was by show of hands and the second by roll call. On the second vote, Britain, South Africa, New Zealand, Luxembourg. France and Australia voted against admission to the agenda. The South African delegate (Mr G. P. Jooste) had asked for the exclusion of both items, saying that from “the strictly legal point of view” the United Nations lacked competence to deal with them. He cited Article 11, Paragraph VII, of the United Nations Charter, which deals with the intervention in domestic affairs of member States.

Mr Jooste said that the allegation that what was happening in South Africa constituted a threat to the peace was a most reprehensible and mischievous allegation, since there could be a threat to peace only when the territorial integrity or the political independence of another State was threatened.

Mr Rajeshwar Dayal (India) said that this was not the time or the place to raise the question of competence, which could not be challenged until the item was placed on the agenda. The United Nations Good Offices Commission of three men, appointed last year to arrange and assist negotiations. between .the South African, Indian and Pakistan Governments on the question of the treatment of Indians in South Africa, reported today that it had been unable to carry out its task.

The report said that the reason was that the South African Government had announced that it regarded the General Assembly resolution (which called for the establishment of the commission) as unconstitutional and could grant no recognition to the commission.

[Article 11. Paragraph VII of the United Nations Charter, reads: “Nothing contained in the present charter shall authorise the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any State or shall require the members to submit such matters to settlement under the present charter; but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter VII (Action With Respect to Threats to the Peace. Breaches of the Peace and Acts of Aggression.) ]