JUNE 13-15, 1991
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid, and on my own behalf, I would like to welcome all of you wholeheartedly to this important and most timely international conference. It takes place against the background of historic changes in the international arena and at a time when the international community faces the challenges to devise appropriate strategies to address national, regional and global issues.
All of us know that international relations started to take on a new shape recently. Unique events changed the political situation and perceptions not only in Eastern Europe but also in other parts of the world. Even in Southern Africa we have grounds for cautious optimism, for peace in Angola and for the eradication of apartheid, at long last, in South Africa.
For the United Nations, which has been dealing with the evil system of apartheid for decades, it is particularly gratifying to witness that the resistance of the South African people and the pressure of the outside world have prompted the white leadership to take steps towards the dismantlement of apartheid.
Among those in Europe who were in the vanguard of international pressure on apartheid South Africa were, for decades, the USSR, other East European countries including Czechoslovakia, as well as the Nordic countries. The USSR and other East European countries in fact broke their ties with South Africa in the mid-1950s and for decades consistently supported the anti-apartheid movement. Some governments, many political parties and a host of non-governmental organisations in West European countries provided also a strong and effective component to this international pressure.
All those in Europe who fought apartheid, racism, and the violations of human rights over the years should be proud of their contribution towards the eradication of apartheid which has been universally considered a crime against the conscience and dignity of mankind.
In December 1989 at the United Nations, we registered a major accomplishment - the adoption by consensus of the historic United Nations Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences. That Declaration delineated the common objectives of the international community towards the establishment, through peaceful means, of a united, non-racial, democratic South Africa, and spelled out the steps that have to be taken to create a climate conducive to negotiations, the modalities of these negotiations, and the principles of a new constitution; it also contained a programme of action regarding the responsibility of the international community. It was agreed that the international community will not relax existing measures aimed at encouraging the South African regime to eradicate apartheid until there is clear evidence of profound and irreversible changes bearing in mind the objective of the Declaration. The Secretary-General in his report last year, based on the findings of a mission he sent to South Africa, found that the climate appropriate for negotiations had not yet been established and that the political process towards dismantlement of the apartheid system was still at an early stage.
The same spirit of consensus prevailed in September and December last year when the General Assembly, again by consensus, adopted resolutions calling on governments to adhere strictly to the programme of action contained in the Declaration.
This year, some further positive steps were taken by the authorities in South Africa such as: the repeal of the Group Areas Act and the Land Acts, and the announcement that the Population Registration Act and Internal Security Act would be revised. On the other hand, however, not sufficient progress was made regarding the release of political prisoners and the return of political exiles. Political prisoners still remain in jail and the bulk of exiles have not been allowed to return to South Africa without restrictions. Even more disconcerting, however, has been the inability or unwillingness of the Government to deal impartially and effectively with the unprecedented level of violence that has gripped the country over the last few months. We have reason to suspect that the long indifference that the South African authorities displayed regarding violence was caused by the intention to weaken the ANC and other anti-apartheid forces. This is a policy which we consider dangerous and myopic since it has led to the present impasse in South Africa.
It is disappointing to us that one and a half years after the adoption of the United Nations Declaration, Pretoria has not yet fulfilled all the five necessary conditions to create a climate conducive to negotiations, that is, an atmosphere of free political activity, and has not taken the necessary measures to bring the violence under control with the result that a climate of distrust and intransigence is building up in the country. It will be a tragedy if the fragile process that has been launched is derailed.
In this context, the role of the international community assumes utmost importance. The Special Committee believes that a combined policy of pressure and assistance will help achieve the speedy end to apartheid.
Continued pressure is needed since negotiations have not yet started in South Africa, nor is there an agreement on the appropriate forum for such negotiations. We should also recognize that the parties to future negotiations have neither moral equivalence nor equal power. Future negotiations will be held between those whose authority is based on a system which has been universally condemned on the one hand, and those whose struggle is for the realization of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, on the other. It will be between a party that holds the reins of power and those forces that are subject to this power.
It is important, therefore, that the latter forces be supported until the negotiations on a new constitution are concluded. This objective can be achieved by maintaining pressure on South Africa. The content of the required pressure should be agreed upon by the international community after consultations with the national liberation movements and the other anti-apartheid forces in the country. A premature lifting of pressure, which would result in the elimination of sanctions and in the establishment of close relations with South Africa, will be counterproductive if not outright dangerous. Assistance to the disadvantaged sections of South African society should also be foremost among the international community's concerns. The Special Committee, in this regard, is organizing, in cooperation with UNESCO, later this month, a conference on Educational Needs of the Victims of Apartheid. Through trust funds, based on voluntary contributions by governments, the United Nations provides scholarships to South African students and aid for legal defence and assistance to released political prisoners.
Ultimately, the task of the international community should be to foster, through pressure and assistance, the process of negotiations on a new constitution and to see to it that a united, non-racial and democratic society in South Africa is established as soon as possible. Parliamentarians of Eastern and Western Europe can make a valuable contribution towards that end.
With the turn to truly democratic forms of government and a political life full of openness and individual initiative, the Special Committee hopes that East Europeans continue to stand in the forefront of the solidarity movement. Knowing first hand what the denial of political freedom, the absence of equal economic opportunity, and the absolute power of the State means, they will lend their unswerving support to the just and legitimate cause of the South African people.
In this context, the Special Committee always appreciates action by parliamentarians. This is because parliamentarians in a functioning democracy are an important force in the overall balance of the national decision-making process. Moreover, parliamentarians are the elected representatives of the people. Within their mandate and power, they can be instrumental in promoting change. Therefore, this conference offers a unique opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to do everything in their power to make Pretoria act fast and to eliminate apartheid.
The Special Committee, therefore, calls upon you to continue to work for the implementation of the United Nations Declaration adopted by consensus by the General Assembly in December 1989.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the Association of West European Parliamentarians on Action against Apartheid for the cooperation and organisational skills which enabled us to meet here in Prague to discuss this matter. The Special Committee appreciates very much your efforts contributing to the international campaign against apartheid. It assures you of its continuing and full support.
I would also like to place on record the sincere thanks and appreciation of the Special Committee to the host of this conference, the Parliament and Government of Czechoslovakia. We are fully aware of and admire the commitment of President Havel to human rights, to equality and justice. The presence of the Parliament's Speaker, the Honourable Alexander Dubcek, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Jiri Dienstbier, attests to the fact that Czechoslovakia is determined to support the process of change in South Africa and the longing of the South African people for democracy and freedom.