U.S. Defines S.W. Africa Ruling

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31124, 29 July 1966, Page 13

U.S. Defines S.W. Africa Ruling

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, July 28. The United States State Department said today that the World Court’s decision o n South-west Africa of July 18 did not diminish the legal authority of earlier advisory opinions given by the same Court. These opinions, the State Department said in a prepared statement, established that South Africa could not alter the status of South-west Africa without the consent of the United Nations, and that it was bound to accept United Nations supervision and to “promote to the utmost the material and moral well-being

and the social progress of the inhabitants.” The statement said that the Court’s judgment on July 18 “is of limited scope.” It added: “The only question the Court has decided is whether Ethiopia and Liberia have a legal right or interest regarding the subject matter of their claims. “It does not decide those claims.” The statement recalled that the Court issued advisory opinions on the principles governing the South-west

African mandate in 1950, 1955 and 1956. “These advisory opinions established that the mandate continues in effect and that South Africa cannot alter the status of the territory without the consent of the United Nations.” It said: “South ■ Africa continues to be bound under the mandate to accept United

Nations supervision, to submit annual reports and to forward petitions to the United Nations General Assembly, as well as to ‘promote to the utmost the material and moral well-being and the social progress of the inhabitants.’” The “judgment of July 18 has not diminished the legal authority of these advisory opinions,” the statement said.