Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 6 Dec 1973

... Apartheid in Sports—The General Assembly. Recalling that Member States have pledged themselves, under Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations, to promote and encourage respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.

Recalling further its requests to all States and national and international sports organisations to suspend exchanges of sporting events with South African teams selected under apartheid policies.

Bearing in mind that 1971 was designated as the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, to be observed in the name of the ever-growing struggle against racial discrimination in all its forms and manifestations and in the name of international solidarity with those struggling against racism.

1. Declares its unqualified support of the Olympic principle that no discrimination be allowed on the grounds of race, religion or political affiliations;

2. Affirms that merit should be the sole criterion for participation in sports activities;

3. Solemnly calls upon all national and international sports organisations to uphold the Olympic principle of non-discrimination and to discourage and deny support to sporting events organised in violation of this principle;

4. Calls upon individual sportsmen to refuse to co-operate in any sports activity in a country in which there is an official policy of racial discrimination or apartheid in the field of sports;

5. Urges all States to promote adherence to the Olympic principle of non-discrimination and to encourage their sports organisations to with hold support from sporting events organised in violation of this principle;

6. Requests national and international sports organisations and the public to deny any form of recognition to any sports activity from which persons are debarred or in which they are subjected to any discrimination on the basis of race, religion or political affiliation;

7. Condemns the actions of the Government of South Africa in enforcing racial discrimination and segregation in sports;

8. Notes with regret that some national and international sports organisations have continued exchanges with teams from South Africa that have been selected for international competition on the basis of competition closed to otherwise qualified sportsmen solely on the basis of their race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin;

9. Commends those international and national sports organisations that have supported the international campaign against apartheid in sports;

10. Requests all States to urge their national sports organisations to act in accordance with the present resolution.

11. Requests the Secretary-General

(a) To bring the present resolution to the attention of international sports organisations;

(b) To keep the special committee on apartheid informed on the implementation of the present resolution;

(c) To submit a report on this matter to the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh session...

1997th plenary meeting.

29 November, 1971.

Question No. 17 postponed.