text: Mr.GHARE~t (India): Atour~pecial sessionlastDecember, weadopted aDeclaration whichwastrulyamilestone intheUnitedNations contribution tothe struggle against ~rtheid. TheDeclaration encouraged thepeopleofSouthAfrica tojointogether tobringaboutanendtoQPartheid andtoworkforapeaceful transition toanon-racial, democratic SouthAfrica. Itsetouttheconditions necessary forthecreation ofaclimate fornegotiations. Italsooutlined the guidelines fornegotiations andthefundamental principles onwhichtobasethe constitutional orderofthenewSouthAfrica. Thesignificance oftheDeclaration layinthefactthatitwasadopted by consensus. Itwasthefirsttimethattheinternational community hadco-operated inissuing amajorDeclaration calling fortheeradication ofapartheid. Itsenta clearsignaltoPretoria thatrealchangewasnecessary andthatPretoria couldnot countonanydivided voteoropinion toprocrastinate inthematter. Inthelastninemonthssincetheadoption oftheDeclaration, theSouth African Government hastakensomewelcome andoverdue measures torectify themany abusesinherent inthesystem: therelease ofNelsonMandela wasonesuchmeasure ofimportance. Therelease ofsomeotherpolitical prisoners, theunbanning of political organizations, thepartiallifting ofthestateofemergency, andthe establishment ofcontacts withtheliberation movements weresomeofPretoria's othermeasures. Wewelcome thesedevelopments asanexpression bothofPretoria's Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Library----------~-------- JSM/edd A/44li.)V.98 34-35 (Mr.Gharekhan, India) re~ognitiun oftheinjustices ofapartheid thatneedtobeeradicated, andof Pretoria's acceptance ofthedemandofthoworldcommunity andofthemajority in SouthAfricaforstepstowards beneficial changeinthecountry. However, these mea~ures, significant astheyare,meetonlypartoftheconditions se~outinthe Declaration. Mostofthemeasures required tobetakerl'Y theSouth.\frican Gove?nment forthecreation ofaclimate formeaningful negotiations haveyettobe fUllyimplemented. Thousands ofpolitical prisoners continue tolanguish ingaolsandsevGral, including childran, remainindetention. De~pite theremoval oftheban, politi~al organizations arestillnotabletoengageinfreepolitical activity because of several restrictions. Thestateofemergency hasnotyetbeenliftedinNatal,and repressive legislation, suchastheInternal Security Act,remains notonlyin force,butalsoinuse.Thepillars ofapartheid, suchastheGroupAreas Act~the LandActsandthePopulation Registration Actremainintact. Theagreement reached between theAfrican National Congress ofSouthAfrica (~BC)andtheSouthAfrican Government aftertheirlatestroundoftalksinPretori~ lastmonthappears encouraging. Itremains tobeseenwhatconcrete resultsitproduces. Forthe present, wecannothutconclude, astheSecretary-General observes inhisreport: "thepolitical process towards thedismantlement oftheapartheid systemis stillatanearlystage". (A/44/960, para.16) Thereis,inotherwords,stillalongwaytogo. Itisevident thatthechangethathastakenplacesofarinSouthAfrica, evenifindubitably noteworthy, hasnotyetbecomeirreversible. Thebasic structures ofapartheid remainfirmlyinplaceandsodothesocio-economic inequities andtheracialattitudes whichhavebeennurtured bydecades ofracial hatred, suspicion andinjustice. Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryJSMlbq Al44/PV.98 36" (Mr.Gharekhap, India) Ofcourse,itneedspdtience, uuderstanding, timeandstatesmanship o~the partofallconcerned ~eforethedecades oldhostilities anddeepmintrust canbe reduced# letaloneeliminated. Thehealing touch,thebuilding upofconfidence andtr~ ~ineachother,isasimportant as~oncrete stepsindi~mantli~g apartheid's stockades. Themajority oftheSouthAfrican peo~lehaveforlong favoured apolitical settlem",nt. ~heannouncement bytheAfrican National Cong1"ess ofSouthAfrica (ANC)lastmonthofthesuspansion ofalla~adactiononceagain demonstrates their prefe~ence forthepeaceful endofQPartheid through negotiations. Wepaytribute totheirvisionandforebearance, andcalluponthe SouthAfrican Government tomovespeedily towards anegotiated settlement, as provided forintheUnitedNations Declaration. Theescalating violence inNata~andelsewhere" inSouthAfricaisamatterof graveconcern. Ithasresulted prima~ily fromthecontinued existence ofthe APartheid policies andpractices pursued byth6Government. Apartheid divides
analysis: This text appears to be a statement by an Indian diplomat to the United Nations, discussing the progress of negotiations and reforms in South Africa, particularly with regards to the apartheid system. The text highlights the significance of the United Nations Declaration on the abolition of apartheid, and the measures taken by the South African government, but also notes that much work remains to be done to dismantle the system and achieve a peaceful transition to a non-racial, democratic society.