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Apartheid Convention
The 1973 United Nations International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid was the first binding international treaty which declared the crime of apartheid and racial segregation under international law. It was adopted by the General Assembly on 30 November 1973 and came into force on 18 July 1976. It passed by 91 votes in favor, four against (Portugal, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States) and 26 abstentions. 110 countries are currently parties to the convention, with 26 signatories.
As the crime of apartheid grew more visible, a need to address South Africa's apartheid issues rose in the 1950s-60's. Following the election of South Africa's National Party in 1948 came a swell of prejudicial and racially charged policies. In 1967, as resistance to aggressive apartheid policies grew, and the South African government doubled down on aims of segregated living and racially discriminatory policies, the international campaign against apartheid grew stronger, and the United Nations stepped in.
Backed openly from 1967 onwards by the United Nations, government and grassroots movements attempted to form a united front with the oppressed peoples of South Africa against its tyrannical government. The United Nations called for boycotting of public events, as well as economic embargoes, something it had never done previously.
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights drew even greater attention to the apartheid issue when the Special Committee Against Apartheid raised awareness to the inhumane treatment of some political captives in South Africa. This attention, coupled with the accumulating negative history, caused The Commission on Human Rights to focus increasingly on apartheid, making it a primary concern. The Apartheid Convention of 1973 is a reaction to these items, building on arguments and agreements made in the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination or ICERD which took place four years prior. The new Convention was the first to explicitly define apartheid, and then attempt to effectively criminalize what the ICERD had previously only prohibited. It was drafted by the Commission on Human Rights, and then officially implemented in 1973. This convention was the first to name apartheid a crime under international law, while also being the first to name apartheid a crime against humanity. While many countries and signatories continued to oppose this terminology, the convention was the first to have signatures to this effect.
The first meeting on the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid took place in the 26th session of the General Assembly, 2001st plenary meeting on 6 December 1971. The General Assembly established the conviction that the apartheid is a crime against humanity, and recognized further measures from the UN to suppress and punish the apartheid. This plenary meeting requested the secretary general to transmit the draft convention to the Commission on Human Rights. It was also recommended during this meeting that the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic Social Council consider this draft and submit the text of the draft convention to the General Assembly at its 27th session. Thus, reaffirming that apartheid constitutes a total negation of the principles of the UN, and recognizes the continual need for efforts to suppress and punish the apartheid.
This meeting further requested that the Secretary General transmit the revised draft Convention to the Special Committee on the Apartheid, and invited the Economic and Social Council to request the Commission on Human Rights to consider as a priority item the revised draft Convention and submit the results of its consideration to the 28th session of the General Assembly.
The second resolution on the draft convention on the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid took place in the 27th session of the General Assembly, 2085th plenary meeting, 15 November 1972.
This resolution concluded with a request to the Commission on Human Rights at its 29th session to consider the draft convention a priority item and submit the results of its consideration at the 28th session of the General Assembly.
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Apartheid Convention
The 1973 United Nations International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid was the first binding international treaty which declared the crime of apartheid and racial segregation under international law. It was adopted by the General Assembly on 30 November 1973 and came into force on 18 July 1976. It passed by 91 votes in favor, four against (Portugal, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States) and 26 abstentions. 110 countries are currently parties to the convention, with 26 signatories.
As the crime of apartheid grew more visible, a need to address South Africa's apartheid issues rose in the 1950s-60's. Following the election of South Africa's National Party in 1948 came a swell of prejudicial and racially charged policies. In 1967, as resistance to aggressive apartheid policies grew, and the South African government doubled down on aims of segregated living and racially discriminatory policies, the international campaign against apartheid grew stronger, and the United Nations stepped in.
Backed openly from 1967 onwards by the United Nations, government and grassroots movements attempted to form a united front with the oppressed peoples of South Africa against its tyrannical government. The United Nations called for boycotting of public events, as well as economic embargoes, something it had never done previously.
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights drew even greater attention to the apartheid issue when the Special Committee Against Apartheid raised awareness to the inhumane treatment of some political captives in South Africa. This attention, coupled with the accumulating negative history, caused The Commission on Human Rights to focus increasingly on apartheid, making it a primary concern. The Apartheid Convention of 1973 is a reaction to these items, building on arguments and agreements made in the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination or ICERD which took place four years prior. The new Convention was the first to explicitly define apartheid, and then attempt to effectively criminalize what the ICERD had previously only prohibited. It was drafted by the Commission on Human Rights, and then officially implemented in 1973. This convention was the first to name apartheid a crime under international law, while also being the first to name apartheid a crime against humanity. While many countries and signatories continued to oppose this terminology, the convention was the first to have signatures to this effect.
The first meeting on the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid took place in the 26th session of the General Assembly, 2001st plenary meeting on 6 December 1971. The General Assembly established the conviction that the apartheid is a crime against humanity, and recognized further measures from the UN to suppress and punish the apartheid. This plenary meeting requested the secretary general to transmit the draft convention to the Commission on Human Rights. It was also recommended during this meeting that the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic Social Council consider this draft and submit the text of the draft convention to the General Assembly at its 27th session. Thus, reaffirming that apartheid constitutes a total negation of the principles of the UN, and recognizes the continual need for efforts to suppress and punish the apartheid.
This meeting further requested that the Secretary General transmit the revised draft Convention to the Special Committee on the Apartheid, and invited the Economic and Social Council to request the Commission on Human Rights to consider as a priority item the revised draft Convention and submit the results of its consideration to the 28th session of the General Assembly.
The second resolution on the draft convention on the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid took place in the 27th session of the General Assembly, 2085th plenary meeting, 15 November 1972.
This resolution concluded with a request to the Commission on Human Rights at its 29th session to consider the draft convention a priority item and submit the results of its consideration at the 28th session of the General Assembly.