Afro-Asian Bid To Restrict South Africa In U.N.

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31862, 14 December 1968, Page 13

Afro-Asian Bid To Restrict South Africa In U.N.

(N.Z.P.A .-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, Dec. 13. South Africa appeared certain today to survive the most determined attempt yet to restrict her rights as a United Nations member State. The General Assembly is due to act on a resolution

from its economic committee which, if ratified, would cut| off South African membership of the important United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (U.N.C.T.A.D.). The issue is an important constitutional one because the committee overrode a ruling by a United Nations legal counsel, Mr Constantin Savropoulos, endorsed by the Secretary-General, U Thant, that the Assembly could not legally restrict membership once it was conferred.

Ail the Western powers lined up against the AfroAsian advocates of South Africa’s expulsion. The Soviet Union abstained in the committee vote, but

: made no secret of her objections to the Afro-Asian move i to by-pass the Security Coun- ■ cil. According to United Na- ■ tiohs rules, joint action by the council and the Assembly : is necessary to expel a memi ber. The United States, Britain

and France, which have veto rights in the council, would probably never permit South Africa’s exclusion. All three have applied strong pressure on other members to block ratification of the economic committee’s recommendation, which they fear could become a precedent for other expulsions. A deputation from the Afro-Asian group called on the Assembly President, Mr Emilio Arenales Catalan, yesterday to urge him not to declare the question an important one. In United Nations terminology this would mean it was subject to twothirds majority endorsement. They said they considered it was a procedural matter requiring only a simple majority.