Observer status of national liberation movements – Replies from Governments – SecGen report (Addendum)

OBSERVER STATUS OF NATIONAL LIBERATION MOVEMENTS RECOGNIZED BY THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY AND/OR BY THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES

Report of the Secretary-General

Addendum

REPLIES FROM GOVERNMENTS

UKRAINIAN SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC

[Original: Russian]

[11 October 1988]

1. The participation of national liberation movements in the work of international organizations and conferences is an important means of support for peoples fighting for their national liberation, However, the effective use of the potential of such organizations and conferences and the possibility of a useful contribution to their work depends on the granting to national liberation movements of observer status, together with privileges and immunities to the extent specified in the 1975 Vienna Convention on the Representation of States in Their Relations with International Organizations of a Universal Character.

2. The Ukrainian SSR was one of the first States to ratify the 1975 Vienna Convention and it complies with its provisions.

3. The General Assembly has repeatedly appealed to States to consider ratifying or acceding to the Convention. A few host States have nevertheless disregarded these appeals. This situation makes things difficult for the General Assembly in its efforts to grant to the delegations of the national liberation movements recognized by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and/or the League of Arab States (LAS) observer status, including the facilities, privileges and immunities necessary for the performance of their functions in accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned Convention. In this case, of course, the movements in question are the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO).

4. For these reasons the Ukrainian SSR believes that the General Assembly should again appeal to host States at the current session to consider ratifying or acceding to the 1975 Vienna Convention and to accord, under the Convention, to the delegations of the national liberation movements recognized by OAU and/or LAS observer status and the facilities, privileges and immunities necessary for the performance of their functions in accordance with the provisions of the Convention.

5. These comments on this question are communicated in addition to the replies of the Ukrainian SSR transmitted earlier to the United Nations Secretariat.

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