HC Deb 05 November 1958 vol 594 cc70-1W
87. Mr. Foot

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the United Kingdom Delegate on the Special Political Committee of the United Nations spoke and voted against the resolution proposed by 31 States, including Ceylon, India, and Pakistan, which called upon all member-States to bring their policies into conformity with their obligations under the Charter to promote the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms; and why the United Kingdom delegate did not make it clear that Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the majority of the British people are opposed to policies of racial discrimination.

Mr. Ian Harvey

The United Kingdom representative in the Special Political Committee intervened in the debate on the resolution to which the hon. and learned Member refers to point out that in discussing the policy of the Government of the Union of South Africa towards its own citizens the General Assembly was exceeding its legal competence and violating Article 2 (7) of the Charter. On 21st October the United Kingdom representative voted against the resolution for the same reason. In his statement he pointed out that the United Kingdom vote against the resolution did not imply any opinion on the internal policies of the Union of South Africa.