United Nations Security Council Resolution 216
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution 216 was adopted by the United Nations Security Council
on 12 November 1965, the day after the British Dependency of Southern Rhodesia
's Unilateral Declaration of Independence
from the British Empire
as the state of Rhodesia
. The vote was ten to none, with one member, France
, abstaining.
In the resolution's two operative paragraphs, the Security Council:
Resolution 216 was followed on 20 November by United Nations Security Council Resolution 217
, in which the Security Council further elaborated on its condemnation of the UDI regime and proposed steps to be taken to address the crisis.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution 216 was adopted by the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
on 12 November 1965, the day after the British Dependency of Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
's Unilateral Declaration of Independence
Unilateral Declaration of Independence (Rhodesia)
The Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Rhodesia from the United Kingdom was signed on November 11, 1965, by the administration of Ian Smith, whose Rhodesian Front party opposed black majority rule in the then British colony. Although it declared independence from the United Kingdom it...
from the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
as the state of Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
. The vote was ten to none, with one member, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, abstaining.
In the resolution's two operative paragraphs, the Security Council:
- Condemned the unilateral declaration of independence "made by a racist minority" in Southern Rhodesia.
- Called upon all states to refuse the "illegal racist minority régime" in Southern Rhodesia recognition and to refrain from rendering any assistance to it.
Resolution 216 was followed on 20 November by United Nations Security Council Resolution 217
United Nations Security Council Resolution 217
United Nations Security Council Resolution 217, adopted unanimously on November 20, 1965, determined that the situation resulting from the Unilateral Declaration of Independence was extremely grave and that the Government of the United Kingdom should put an end to it as it constitutes a threat to...
, in which the Security Council further elaborated on its condemnation of the UDI regime and proposed steps to be taken to address the crisis.