UN Condemns Apartheid: Global Pressure on South Africa
The United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 1761 on November 6, 1962, condemning South Africa's apartheid policies and calling on member states to break diplomatic and economic ties. The vote was 67 to 16 with 23 abstentions. Western powers, including the United States, Britain, and France, initially voted against or abstained from sanctions, protecting their economic interests in South African mining and trade. The resolution established a Special Committee against Apartheid that lobbied for 32 years. International isolation deepened through the 1970s and 1980s as sports boycotts, cultural sanctions, and eventually mandatory economic sanctions under the 1986 Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act put increasing pressure on Pretoria. Nelson Mandela was released in 1990, and apartheid was formally dismantled by 1994.
November 6, 1962
64 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on November 6
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