Commonwealth plan for sanctions surveillance

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32958, 3 July 1972, Page 13

Commonwealth plan for sanctions surveillance

(N.Z P. A.-Reuter —Copyright)

LONDON, July 1.

Close United Nations surveillance over ships suspected of trading with Rhodesia in defiance of sanctions has been proposed at a meeting of Commonwealth diplomats in London.

Representatives of the London-based High Commissions of 31 Commonwealth governments form the Commonwealth Sanctions - against - Rhodesia Committee, which met under the chairmanship of Sir John Carter, the Guyanian High Commissioner.

A communique said that the group recommended the appointment of United Nations inspectors and technical experts to watch for goods suspected to be of Rhodesian origin entering ports of member-nations. They also suggested that pressures shouldbe brought to bear on governments to take firm legal and other action against firms breaching the trade embargoes, as is done in Britain and a few other countries.

The committee discussed a list of proposals designed to tighten the application of sanctions, and to check present widespread evasions. They recommended that Commonwealth governments should consider proposing to the United Nations additional measures for more effective implementation of sanctions. These measures included: More effective investigation of cases of evasion, such as the appointment of expert inspectors to examine suspect documentation of cargoes at points of entry or in transit. Steps to be taken by United Nations members to discourage effectively their national carriers and insurers from carrying or insuring cargoes directly or indirectly coming from or destined for Rhodesia. The institution of prosecutions and publicity against persons or companies involved in breaches of the sanctions measures. The committee also suggested that Commonwealth governments, individually,

should employ all appropriate diplomatic representations to persuade countries whose nationals engaged in sanc-tions-breaking, to take preventive action.

The meeting viewed with gravity the breaches of the United Nations mandatory sanctions by some memberStates, and noted that the removal by legislation of the United States ban on imports of Rhodesian chrome was a serious violation of the resolutions of the Security Council.