8th Emergency Special Session: Question of Namibia (1981)

The 8th emergency special session of the GA was convened in relation to Namibia’s independence from South Africa, which had been the subject of increasing GA and SC attention from the mid-1960s onwards (see additional case studies related to use of force and sanctions-related recommendations related to the matter of Namibia). The immediate precursor to the 8th emergency special session was the failure of the SC to take up GA recommendations for mandatory sanctions against South Africa (A/RES/35/227(J), paras. 13–15), which were adopted as part of a series of 10 resolutions passed during the GA’s 35th regular session (ibid.) in March 1981. The next month, the SC considered four draft resolutions that would have included mandatory sanctions of various forms, but none passed due to the vetoes of France, the UK and the US.¹

Following this, the International Conference on Sanctions against South Africa, the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and the UN Council for Namibia endorsed calls for an emergency special session of the GA.² The 8th emergency special session was formally requested by Member States in August 1981 after a majority of the GA concurred with Zimbabwe’s request for the session (A/ES-8/1).

The emergency special session was convened on 13 and 14 September 1981, and resulted in the adoption of one substantive resolution (by a vote of 117-0-25) (A/RES/ES-8/2). It opened by declaring that the “illegal occupation” of Namibia and “acts of aggression” by South Africa against neighbouring States constituted a “breach of international peace and security”. The resolution also reaffirmed prior resolutions and decisions of the GA and the SC with regard to Namibia’s right to self-determination, re-affirmed support for SWAPO as the “sole and authentic representative of the Namibian people” and called for Member States and international organizations to provide them with greater material, financial and military support (ibid., para. 6). Citing the “serious threat to peace and security” posed, the GA urged the SC to impose mandatory Chapter VII sanctions, and for all States to also impose “comprehensive mandatory sanctions” in accordance with the Charter (ibid., paras. 12–13). Sponsored by 70 nations, the resolution passed with 117 votes in favour, none against and 25 abstentions (A/RES/ES-8/2).

This case offers an important example of the GA leading the way in recommending stronger action than the SC as well as referring matters back to it for mandatory enforcement. See also the related Cases of Practice on sanctions recommendations related to the matter of Namibia and other use of force responses.