| UN Security Council Resolution 629 | |
|---|---|
 Namibia | |
| Date | 16 January 1989 |
| Meeting no. | 2,842 |
| Code | S/RES/629 (Document) |
| Subject | Namibia |
Voting summary | 15 voted for None voted against None abstained |
| Result | Adopted |
| Security Council composition | |
Permanent members | |
Non-permanent members | |
United Nations Security Council resolution 629, adopted unanimously on 16 January 1989, after recalling resolutions 431 (1978), 435 (1978) and 628 (1989), the Council noted that the parties to the Brazzaville Protocol agreed that 1 April 1989 be established as the date of the South African withdrawal from Angola and therefore lead the way to the independence of Namibia.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 431, adopted on July 27, 1978, after recalling resolution 385 (1976), the Council took note of a proposal of a solution to the situation in Namibia and asked the Secretary-General to appoint a Special Representative for Namibia to ensure the independence of Namibia from South Africa as soon as possible. It also called on all concerned to exert their best efforts to resolve the issue, so that free and fair elections could be held.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 435, adopted on September 29, 1978, put forward proposals for a cease-fire and UN-supervised elections in South African-controlled South West Africa which ultimately led to the independence of Namibia. Importantly, it established the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) which oversaw the election and the South African withdrawal.
United Nations Security Council resolution 628, adopted unanimously on 16 January 1989, after noting an agreement between Angola and Cuba regarding the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola, and the tripartite agreement between Angola, Cuba and South Africa, the Council welcomed both agreements, emphasising the importance of both in terms of international peace and security.
Contents
The Council emphasised its position to hold free and fair elections under the supervision of the United Nations in Namibia in accordance with Resolution 435 (1978). As a first step, it requested the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar to arrange a formal ceasefire between the South West Africa People's Organization and South Africa, calling upon the latter to substantially reduce its police forces in Namibia with a view to balance the remainder with the monitoring United Nations Transition Assistance Group.
Elections in Namibia gives information on election and election results in Namibia.
Javier Felipe Ricardo Pérez de Cuéllar de la Guerra KCMG is a Peruvian diplomat who served as the fifth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1982 to December 31, 1991. He ran unsuccessfully against Alberto Fujimori for President of Peru in 1995 and following Fujimori's resignation over corruption charges, he was Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from November 2000 until July 2001. In September 2004, he stepped down from his position as Peru's Ambassador to France, where he formerly resided. He is also a member of the Club de Madrid, a group of more than 100 former Presidents and Prime Ministers of democratic countries, which works to strengthen democracy worldwide. At the age of 99 years, 256 days, Pérez de Cuéllar is currently both the oldest living former Peruvian prime minister and Secretary General of the United Nations.
A ceasefire, also spelled cease fire, is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces.
The resolution also asked all parties to impartially implement the resolution, and for the Secretary-General to report back at the earliest possible date on developments since the adoption of the current resolution, and also to investigate cost-saving measures, further asking Member States to consider what assistance they could provide to the newly independent Namibia.
Resolution 629, with the breakdown of the bi-polar system in the Council, was drafted by the five permanent members of the Security Council, illustrating a shift in governance which allowed the permanent members to consult informally outside the Council chambers on a wide range of issues. [1]
