CM/Res.856 (XXXVII)
RESOLUTION ON SPORTING LINKS WITH SOUTH AFRICA
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity meeting in its Thirty- seventh Ordinary Session in Nairobi, Kenya from 15 to 26 June, 1981,
Recalling the International Declaration Against Apartheid in Sports adopted by the United Nations General Assembly,
Considering the fact that the racist South African regime is increasingly using sports to break its International isolation,
Aware that the Irish Rugby Football team had recently toured South Africa in violation of the United Nations Resolutions and the International Declaration Against Apartheid in Sports,
Concerned about the fact that South African Springbok Rugby team is scheduled to tour New Zealand from July to September 1981,
Recalling all previous resolutions adopted by the OAU in which it appealed to all States, particularly New Zealand, to sever sports links with South Africa,
Recognizing that it is within the competence of the New Zealand Government to stop the South African Springbok tour of New Zealand,
Appreciating the initiative of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid to compile a register of sportsmen who participate in sports with apartheid South Africa:
CONDEMNS the Irish Rugby Football Union and the New Zealand Rugby Football Union for their violation of the International Declaration Against
Apartheid in sports and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and URGES the Irish Government to take measures which will ensure that no team going to South Africa defy its authority;
CALLS UPON the New Zealand Government to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the cancellation of the Springbok Rugby tour;
CALLS UPON all Member States to demand the exclusion of New Zealand nationals from all international sporting events if the Springbok rugby tour is allowed to proceed;
CALLS UPON Member States to take all necessary measures to ensure that their nationals refrain from participation in all sporting events which include New Zealand nationals;
CALLS UPON Member States which are also Members of the Commonwealth to request for the cancellation or for the change of the venue and to canvass so that other Members of the Commonwealth in Asia and the Caribbean to request for the same for the forthcoming Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ meeting now scheduled to be held in New Zealand later this year if the Springbok Rugby tour to New Zealand is not cancelled;
CALLS UPON the African Commonwealth nations to direct (and to canvass so that other Commonwealth nations in Asia and Caribbean do likewise) their National Olympic and/or Commonwealth Games Committees/Associations to exert pressure on the appropriate authorities for the exclusion of New Zealand for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Brisbane, Australia in 1982;
REQUESTS the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa to keep the OAU Secretary-General informed of the attitude of New Zealand regarding the proposed tour of New Zealand by the Springbok Rugby team and its general
policy of allowing its national to have sporting links with South Africa in defiance of the international Declaration against apartheid ion sports;
CALLS UPON governments to ban from entering into their countries, national teams and individuals, to refuse to engage in sporting activities, and to canvass so that Governments of other members of the international community do the same with those Sportsmen or teams which are listed in the register of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid as having participated in sports with teams in or from racist South Africa.