Security Council resolution 566 (1985) [condemning South Africa for its installation of a so-called interim government in Windhoek]
Symbol: S/RES/566(1985)
Date: 1985-06-19
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/40 [6] NAMIBIA QUESTION
Subjects: SWAPO|Charter of the United Nations (1945). Chapter VII|ELECTIONS|CONSTITUTIONS|NAMIBIA|SANCTIONS|FOREIGN INVESTMENTS|TRADE BOYCOTTS|SOUTH AFRICA|NAMIBIA QUESTION|APARTHEID
Votes in favour: 13
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 2
Voting record:
country: AUSTRALIA
vote: yes
country: BURKINA FASO
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: DENMARK
vote: yes
country: EGYPT
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: INDIA
vote: yes
country: MADAGASCAR
vote: yes
country: PERU
vote: yes
country: THAILAND
vote: yes
country: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
vote: yes
country: UKRAINE
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: abstention
country: UNITED STATES
vote: abstention
country: USSR
vote: yes

Resolution 566 (1985)
of 19 June 1985

The Security Council,

Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General, 50

Having heard the statement by the Acting President of
the United Nations Council for Namibia, 51

Having considered the statement by Mr. Sam
Nujoma, President of the South West Africa People’s
Organization, 51

Commending the South West Africa People’s
Organization for its preparedness to co-operate fully
with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and his
Special Representative, including its expressed readiness
to sign and observe a cease-fire agreement with South
Africa, in the implementation of the United Nations
plan for the independence of Namibia as embodied in
Security Council resolution 435 (1978),

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 1514 (XV) of
14 December 1960 and 2145 (XXI) of 27 October 1966,

Recalling and reaffirming its resolutions 269 (1969),
276 (1970), 301 (1971), 385 (1976), 431 (1978), 432
(1978), 435 (1978), 439 (1978), 532 (1983) and 539
(1983),

Recalling the statement by the President of the Security Council 52 of 3 May 1985, on behalf of the Council,
which, inter alia, declared the establishment of the socalled interim government in Namibia to be null and
void,

Gravely concerned at the tension and instability
created by the hostile policies of the apartheid régime
throughout southern Africa and the mounting threat to
the security of the region and its wider implications for
international peace and security resulting from that
régime’s continued utilization of Namibia as a springboard for military attacks against and destabilization of
African States in the region,

Reaffirming the legal responsibility of the United
Nations over Namibia and the primary responsibility of
the Security Council for ensuring the implementation of
its resolutions, in particular resolutions 385 (1976) and
435 (1978) which contain the United Nations plan for the
independence of Namibia,

Noting that 1985 marks the fortieth anniversary of the
founding of the United Nations, as well as the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on
the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and
Peoples, and expressing grave concern that the question
of Namibia has been with the Organization since its inception and still remains unresolved,

Welcoming the emerging and intensified world-wide
campaign of people from all spheres of life against the
racist régime of South Africa in a concerted effort to
bring about an end to the illegal occupation of Namibia
and to apartheid,

1. Condemns South Africa for its continued illegal
occupation of Namibia in flagrant defiance of resolutions of the General Assembly and decisions of the
Security Council;

2. Reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of the
Namibian people against the illegal occupation of the
racist régime of South Africa and calls upon all States
to increase their moral and material assistance to the
Namibian people;

3. Further condemns the racist régime of South
Africa for its installation of a so-called interim government in Windhoek and declares that this action, taken
even while the Security Council has been in session, constitutes a direct affront to the Council and a clear defiance of its resolutions, particularly resolutions 435
(1978) and 439 (1978);

4. Declares that action to be illegal and null and void
and states that no recognition will be accorded to it
either by the United Nations or any Member State or to
any representative or organ established in pursuance
thereof;

5. Demands that the racist régime of South Africa
immediately rescind the aforementioned illegal and
unilateral action;

6. Further condemns South Africa for its obstruction of the implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978) by insisting on conditions contrary to the
provisions of the United Nations plan for the independence of Namibia;

7. Rejects once again South Africa’s insistence on
linking the independence of Namibia to irrelevant and
extraneous issues as incompatible with resolution 435
(1978), other decisions of the Security Council and the
resolutions of the General Assembly on Namibia, including resolution 1514 (XV);

8. Declares once again that the independence of
Namibia cannot be held hostage to the resolution of
issues that are alien to resolution 435 (1978);

9. Reiterates that resolution 435 (1978), embodying
the United Nations plan for the independence of
Namibia, is the only internationally accepted basis for a
peaceful settlement of the Namibian problem and
demands its immediate and unconditional implementation;

10. Affirms that the consultations undertaken by
the Secretary-General pursuant to paragraph 5 of
resolution 532 (1983) have confirmed that all the
outstanding issues relevant to resolution 435 (1978) have
been resolved, except for the choice of the electoral
system;

11. Decides to mandate the Secretary-General to
resume immediate contact with South Africa with a view
to obtaining its choice of the electoral system to be used
for the election, under United Nations supervision and
control, for the Constituent Assembly, in terms of
resolution 435 (1978), in order to pave the way for the
adoption by the Security Council of the enabling resolution for the implementation of the United Nations plan
for the independence of Namibia;

12. Demands that South Africa co-operate fully
with the Security Council and the Secretary-General in
the implementation of the present resolution;

13. Strongly warns South Africa that failure to do so
would compel the Security Council to meet forthwith to
consider the adoption of appropriate measures under
the Charter, including Chapter VII, as additional
pressure to ensure South Africa’s compliance with the
above-mentioned resolutions;

14. Urges States Members of the United Nations
that have not done so to consider in the meantime taking
appropriate voluntary measures against South Africa,
which could include the following:

(a) Suspension of new investments and application
of disincentives to that end;

(b) Re-examination of maritime and aerial relations
with South Africa;

(c) Prohibition of the sale of krugerrands and all
other coins minted in South Africa;

(d) Restrictions on sports and cultural relations;

15. Requests the Secretary-General to report on the
implementation of the present resolution not later than
the first week of September 1985;

16. Decides to remain seized of the matter and to
meet immediately upon receipt of the Secretary-General’s report for the purpose of reviewing progress in
the implementation of resolution 435 (1978) and, in the
event of continued obstruction by South Africa, to invoke paragraph 13 of the present resolution.

Adopted at the 2595th meeting
by 13 votes to none, with 2 abstentions (United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern
Ireland, United States of
America).


50 Official Records of the Security Council, Thirty-eighth Year, Supplement for October, November and December 1983, document S/16237 and ibid., Fortieth Year, Supplement for April, May and
June 1985, document S/17242.
51 Ibid., Fortieth Year, 2583rd meeting.
52 See p. 10.