UN General Assembly
1985

Ireland believes that the time is ripe to move from words international action. Already, with the aim of increasing the pressure for change on the South African Government, we have, in concert with our European partners, agreed to implement a series of measures elaborated at Luxembourg on 10 September. Beyond this, however, we believe that only collective action by the international community as a whole will eventually succeed in persuading those who hold power in South Africa to make the commitment to abandon apartheid. Ireland therefore favors the imposition by the Security Council of carefully chosen, graduated and mandatory sanctions against South Africa - to be fully implemented by all. Our goal must be the abolition of apartheid. It is imperative to end a system which is an direct contradiction to every accepted notion of justice, equality and the worth of the human person. We urge the South African Government, in its own interests if nothing else, to accept that fact.