United Nations Security Council Resolution 629
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
629, adopted unanimously on January 16, 1989, after recalling resolutions 431
(1978), 435
(1978) and 628
(1989), the Council noted that the parties to the Brazzaville Protocol
agreed that April 1, 1989 be established as the date of the South Africa
n withdrawal from Angola
and therefore lead the way to the independence of Namibia
.
The Council emphasised its position to hold free and fair elections
under the supervision of the United Nations in Namibia in accordance with Resolution 435 (1978). As a first step, it requested the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
to arrange a formal ceasefire
between the South West Africa People's Organization and South Africa, calling upon the latter to substantially reduce its police forces in Namibia with a view to balance the remainder with the monitoring United Nations Transition Assistance Group
.
The resolution also asked all parties to impartially implement the resolution, and for the Secretary-General to report back at the earliest possible date on developments since the adoption of the current resolution, and also to investigate cost-saving measures, further asking Member States to consider what assistance they could provide to the newly independent Namibia.
Resolution 629, with the breakdown of the bi-polar system in the Council, was drafted by the five permanent members of the Security Council, illustrating a shift in governance which allowed the permanent members to consult informally outside the Council chambers on a wide range of issues.
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
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
629, adopted unanimously on January 16, 1989, after recalling resolutions 431
United Nations Security Council Resolution 431
United Nations Security Council Resolution 431, adopted on July 27, 1978, after recalling resolution 385 , the Council took note of a proposal of a solution to the situation in Namibia and asked the Secretary-General to appoint a Special Representative for Namibia to ensure the independence of...
(1978), 435
United Nations Security Council Resolution 435
United Nations Security Council Resolution 435, adopted on September 29, 1978, put forward proposals for a cease-fire and UN-supervised elections in South African-controlled South-West Africa which ultimately led to the independence of Namibia...
(1978) and 628
United Nations Security Council Resolution 628
United Nations Security Council Resolution 628, adopted unanimously on January 16, 1989, after noting an agreement between Angola and Cuba regarding the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola, and the tripartite agreement between Angola, Cuba and South Africa, the Council welcomed both agreements,...
(1989), the Council noted that the parties to the Brazzaville Protocol
Brazzaville Protocol
The Brazzaville Protocol mandated the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola, paving the way for Namibia's independence through the New York Accords. Representatives from the governments of Angola, Cuba, and South Africa signed the protocol on December 13, 1988 in Brazzaville, Congo.-Negotiation:In...
agreed that April 1, 1989 be established as the date of the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n withdrawal from Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and therefore lead the way to the independence of Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
.
The Council emphasised its position to hold free and fair elections
Elections in Namibia
Elections in Namibia gives information on election and election results in Namibia.Namibia elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by the people. Parliament has two chambers...
under the supervision of the United Nations in Namibia in accordance with Resolution 435 (1978). As a first step, it requested the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar y de la Guerra is a Peruvian diplomat who served as the fifth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1982 to December 31, 1991. He studied in Colegio San Agustín of Lima, and then at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. In 1995, he ran unsuccessfully...
to arrange a formal ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
between the South West Africa People's Organization and South Africa, calling upon the latter to substantially reduce its police forces in Namibia with a view to balance the remainder with the monitoring United Nations Transition Assistance Group
United Nations Transition Assistance Group
The United Nations Transition Assistance Group was a United Nations peacekeeping force deployed from April 1989 to March 1990 in Namibia to monitor the peace process and elections there. Namibia had been occupied by South Africa since 1915, first under a League of Nations mandate and later...
.
The resolution also asked all parties to impartially implement the resolution, and for the Secretary-General to report back at the earliest possible date on developments since the adoption of the current resolution, and also to investigate cost-saving measures, further asking Member States to consider what assistance they could provide to the newly independent Namibia.
Resolution 629, with the breakdown of the bi-polar system in the Council, was drafted by the five permanent members of the Security Council, illustrating a shift in governance which allowed the permanent members to consult informally outside the Council chambers on a wide range of issues.
See also
- Internal resistance to South African apartheidInternal resistance to South African apartheidInternal resistance to the apartheid system in South Africa came from several sectors of society and saw the creation of organisations dedicated variously to peaceful protests, passive resistance and armed insurrection. It came from both black activists like Steve Biko and Desmond Tutu as well as...
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 601 to 700 (1987 – 1991)
- Namibian War of IndependenceNamibian War of IndependenceSee also South African Border War.The Namibian War of Independence, also known as the South African Border War, which lasted from 1966 to 1988, was a guerrilla war, which the nationalist South-West Africa People's Organization and others, fought against the apartheid government in South...
- Resolutions 632United Nations Security Council Resolution 632United Nations Security Council Resolution 632, adopted unanimously on February 16, 1989, after reaffirming resolutions 431 , 435 and 629 , the Council endorsed a report by the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar concering the United Nations plan for Namibia, reiterating its legal authority...
, 640United Nations Security Council Resolution 640United Nations Security Council Resolution 640, adopted unanimously on August 29, 1989, after reaffirming resolutions 431 , 435 and 629 and 632 , the Council reminded all parties involved in the situation in Namibia implement Resolution 435 of September 29, 1978.The Council went on to demand the...
and 643United Nations Security Council Resolution 643United Nations Security Council Resolution 643, adopted unanimously on October 31, 1989, after reaffirming resolutions 435 and 629 , 632 and 640 , as well as noting a report by the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, the Council expressed its full intention to implement Resolution 435 of... - South Africa Border War
- South Africa under apartheid
- United Nations Commissioner for NamibiaUnited Nations Commissioner for NamibiaUnited Nations Commissioner for South-West Africa was a post created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966 to assert the UN's direct responsibility for South-West Africa which was then under illegal occupation by apartheid South Africa....