At a special meeting held at the Palais des Nations , Geneva, under the Chairmanship of Luigi Cottafavi, Under-Secretary-General, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva, on 21 March, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a programme of International Mobillization Against Apartheid was launched. The ceremony also commemorated the 19th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre.
Luigi Cottafavi addressing the meeting. At the presiding table (left to right), F. Meli, African National Congress of South Africa; Omar Muntasser, Organization of African Unity; Serge E. Charles, Vice-Chairman of the Special Committee Against Apartheid; Luigi Cottafavi; Amara Essy, Vice-Chairman of UN Commission on Human Rights ; Niall Mac Dermot, representative of Non-Governmental Organizations; and Philipp Mokgadi, Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania.

The Special Committee against Apartheid held Solemn Meeting on 21 March to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and to launch the Week of Solidarity with peoples Struggling against Racism. Today also marked the twentieth annversary of the Sharpeville massacre, at which in 1960, 69 demonstrators against the pass laws of the Apartheid system were shot and killed, and 180 others wounded, in Sharpeville, South Africa. The Committee heard statements by Secretary-general Kurt Waldheim and by representatives of African and UN groups including the Chairman of the Committee, B. Akporode Clark (Nigeria).
Henry Isaacs of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), addressing the meeting.

A commemorative meeting being held on the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The 35 States Parties to the International Convention of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided unanimously this afternoon that the persons elected to membership in the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination would assume office as of today. Under the terms of the Convention, members of the Committee serve a four-year term. However, when the committee holds its first meeting, the Chairman to be elected at that time will choose by lot which nine of the 18 members will serve initially for two years. The Committee is expected to convene for the first time in September.
In compliance with Article 8 of the Convention, representatives deposit their ballots to elect the eighteen members of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The 35 States Parties to the International Convention of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided unanimously this afternoon that the persons elected to membership in the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination would assume office as of today. Under the terms of the Convention, members of the Committee serve a four-year term. However, when the committee holds its first meeting, the Chairman to be elected at that time will choose by lot which nine of the 18 members will serve initially for two years. The Committee is expected to convene for the first time in September.
Seen here presiding over the meeting today is Mr. Marc Schreiber, Director, UN Division of Human Rights. At the left is Mr. Valentin Romanov, Committee Secretary.