UN General Assembly
1983

The conference held this year in the context of the Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination is undoubtedly an event of great significance to the international community and deserves from us a twofold evaluation. On the one hand, our participation in the conference and our favorable vote on the documents indicate Portugal's support for its traditional conviction with regard to all international efforts to eliminate racism and racial discrimination, On the other hand, we regret that the introduction of elements extraneous to the goals initially agreed upon for the Decade made it impossible to take advantage of this opportunity to create a consensus of the international community on the abolition of apartheid. Even though we wish, in the name of values of co-existence historically acquired and defended, to see the apartheid system completely eradicated, we cannot support formulations in the Programme of Action adopted it the conference which do not aim primarily at favoring and stimulating the necessary changes in South African society. Divided, we shall not serve the elimination of racism or the abolition of racial discrimination.