Namibia: Independence (Hansard, 13 June 1985)

§ Lord Davies of Leek
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Young)
My Lords, recent developments have not been helpful, but the United States-led negotiations continue.

§ Lord Davies of Leek
My Lords, I am grateful for that cogent Answer—as much of it as I received. Cannot Britain take a more active part in the United Nations in urging South Africa to take a less draconic attitude towards the states on its borders? As long as there is this refusal to accept the independence of Namibia, SWAPO will go on with its guerrilla warfare. Can Britain take any action in the United Nations? No one expects Britain to accept all responsibility, but some action should now be taken to solve this problem in this neglected part of Africa.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I can assure the noble Lord, Lord Davies, that we take every opportunity to impress on South Africa the need for early implementation of Security Council Resolution 435, and that we have, with our contact group partners, intervened over the new internal administration arrangements to remind South Africans of their commitment to Security Council Resolution 435.

§ Lord Davies of Leek
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, will the noble Baroness confirm whether or not Her Majesty's Government have heard that the South African Government are to set up an interim government in Namibia on 17th June? Will the noble Baroness be good enough to confirm also that this is totally contrary to United Nations Resolution 435, to which she referred? Can the noble Baroness say that the Government are totally opposed to this action by the South African Government and that it will make an ultimate settlement infinitely more difficult? Therefore, can the noble Baroness say what action the Government propose to take on this and what action the contact group are taking on it?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I should like to make it quite plain that the Government do not recognise the new administration. It has no standing under the United Nations plans. We have made our position quite plain to the South African Government on that matter. We believe that the new administration will not affect the negotiations towards the implementation of Security Council Resolution 435; nor does it alter South Africa's international obligations on that resolution.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, am I correct in saying that this issue is at present before the Security Council? While I realise that the noble Baroness cannot give information in advance of the United Kingdom vote at the Security Council on the resolution now being debated, can she indicate what the British Government's attitude is to the current debate in the Security Council on this issue?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Hatch, is quite right: The debate on Namibia is at present continuing. But we hope to see a resolution which will contribute in a constructive way towards the implementation of Security Council Resolution 435.

§ Lord Monson
My Lords, does the noble Baroness not agree that the United Nations is largely to blame for the present impasse, in that to describe SWAPO in a partisan fashion as the sole authentic representative of the Namibian people is much the same as describing the Labour Party as the sole authentic representative of the British people? Both are strong in the north of their countries but do not represent the whole nation.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I think I have made quite plain the British Government's attitude to these matters in Namibia. We wish to see a resolution of this difficult problem. We hope that the United States negotiations will prove to be successful and that they will be based on the United Nations resolution, which we support.

§ Lord Avebury
My Lords, will the Government consult with the United States, the Commonwealth and the European Community on the practical measures which can be taken in the event of the South Africans proceeding with the plan mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn? Will the Government make it clear to the South Africans, in conjunction with our allies, that if they do proceed with this dangerous and illegal course we shall take more action against them than the mere words which we have used in the past?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, it is clear that the interim administration has been set up and will be inaugurated on 17th June. I have already expressed the Government's point of view about that; and the Community Foreign Ministers stated on 29th April that they consider the South African announcement on the setting up of an interim administration to be null and void and reaffirm the Ten's commitment to Security Council Resolution 435.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that what she has said so far is very encouraging and can be applauded on this side of the House? Is she also aware—I am sure she is—that the United Nations nine-man survey of internationalists and the Inter-Parliamentary Union examination of the United Nations survey both came to the same conclusion: that SWAPO overwhelmingly represented all tribes and peoples in Namibia? It is on the United Nations and IPU surveys, involving 20 people from different nations, that that basis was, beyond all peradventure, 1358 accepted by the United Nations and succesive British Governments.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I do not know that I entirely follow the noble Lord, Lord Molloy, in all his arguments on this matter. I hope I have made plain to your Lordships the British Government's view over Namibia.

§ Lord Brockway
My Lords, in view of the fact that the Security Council has made its proposals for the independence of Namibia and that the South African Government has, for more than a decade, delayed that solution and is even now proposing its own constitution for Namibia, is it beyond the wit of man and the ability of the Security Council to reflect world opinion on this issue and find a means of enforcing the solution which it has itself proposed?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I think I have made clear the position of the United Kingdom and the Community. Of course, the contact group countries have declared the interim administration arrangements null and void. The presidential statement of the Security Council on 3rd May also declared the interim administration null and void.
On taking further measures against South Africa, we do not believe that putting economic pressure on South Africa would be effective in securing an internationally acceptable settlement.