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 meeting of the States Parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination this morning elected by secret ballot nine members of the 18-member Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to replace those whose terms expire on 19 January. Under article 8 of the Convention, which provides for the establishment of the Committee, the States Parties met for the first time in 1969 to elect 18 members, who serve as experts in their personal capacity. The Committee's task is to consider regular reports by the States Parties on implementation of provisions of the Convention, and to make suggestions and general recommendations to the General Assembly. It is also empowered to consider communications by one Party alleging that another is not giving effect to provisions of the Convention, and can appoint a Conciliation Commission to deal with such a matter. Additionally, it serves as an advisory body to UN organs concerned with Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories. The Committee is to hold its fifth session at Headquarters from 14 to 25 February.
A partial view of the meeting. At the presiding table (left to right): Marc Schreiber, Director of the UN Division of Human Rights; Mohamed El-Zayyat (Egypt), Chairman of the Fifth Session, making a statement; and K. Das, Committee Secretary.

A meeting of the States Parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination this morning elected by secret ballot nine members of the 18-member Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to replace those whose terms expire on 19 January. Under article 8 of the Convention, which provides for the establishment of the Committee, the States Parties met for the first time in 1969 to elect 18 members, who serve as experts in their personal capacity. The Committee's task is to consider regular reports by the States Parties on implementation of provisions of the Convention, and to make suggestions and general recommendations to the General Assembly. It is also empowered to consider communications by one Party alleging that another is not giving effect to provisions of the Convention, and can appoint a Conciliation Commission to deal with such a matter. Additionally, it serves as an advisory body to UN organs concerned with Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories. The Committee is to hold its fifth session at Headquarters from 14 to 25 February.
A general view of the meeting.

A meeting of the States Parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination this morning elected by secret ballot nine members of the 18-member Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to replace those whose terms expire on 19 January. Under article 8 of the Convention, which provides for the establishment of the Committee, the States Parties met for the first time in 1969 to elect 18 members, who serve as experts in their personal capacity. The Committee's task is to consider regular reports by the States Parties on implementation of provisions of the Convention, and to make suggestions and general recommendations to the General Assembly. It is also empowered to consider communications by one Party alleging that another is not giving effect to provisions of the Convention, and can appoint a Conciliation Commission to deal with such a matter. Additionally, it serves as an advisory body to UN organs concerned with Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories. The Committee is to hold its fifth session at Headquarters from 14 to 25 February.
Marc Schreiber, Director of the UN Division of Human Rights, making a statement on behalf of the Secretary-General. At right is K. Das, Committee Secretary.

Sweden signed the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Dicrimination. The Convention, adopted by the General Assembly on 21 December 1965 (Resolution 2106 (XX)), binds States which become Parties to "condemn racial discrimination and undertake to pursue, by all appropriate means and without delay, a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among races." The Parties also commit themselves to taking "special and concrete measures to ensure the adequate development and protection of certain racial groups or individuals belonging to them". The Convention provides for the establishment of machinery to oversee the implementation of its provisions.
Ambassador Sverker C. Astrom, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN, signing the Convention. Looking on are Mr. C.A. Stavropoulos (right), Under-Secretary, the Legal Counsel, and Mr. Per-Olof V. Forshell, First Secretary of Embassy, Mission of Sweden to the UN.