Apartheid

=== United Nations ===
{{blockquote|We stand here today to salute the United Nations Organisation and its Member States, both singly and collectively, for joining forces with the masses of our people in a common struggle that has brought about our emancipation and pushed back the frontiers of racism.| [[Nelson Mandela]], address to the United Nations as South African President, 3 October 1994<ref>[https://www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/apartheid.shtml Nelson Mandela] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620051301/http://www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/apartheid.shtml |date=20 June 2017 }} United Nations</ref>}}

The apartheid system as an issue was first formally brought to the [[United Nations]] attention, in order to advocate for the Indians residing in South Africa. On 22 June 1946, the Indian government requested that the discriminatory treatment of Indians living in South Africa be included on the agenda of the first General Assembly session.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{Citation |title=Remarks at memorial ceremony for Nelson Mandela, Johannesburg, 10 December 2013|date=16 December 2016|doi = 10.18356/c18bc974-en}}</ref> In 1952, apartheid was again discussed in the aftermath of the Defiance Campaign, and the UN set up a task team to keep watch on the progress of apartheid and the racial state of affairs in South Africa. Although South Africa's racial policies were a cause for concern, most countries in the UN concurred that this was a domestic affair, which fell outside the UN's jurisdiction.<ref>Ampiah, Kweku (1997). ''The dynamics of Japan's relations with Africa: South Africa, Tanzania and Nigeria.'' CRC Press. p. 147.</ref>

In April 1960, the UN's conservative stance on apartheid changed following the [[Sharpeville massacre]], and the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] for the first time agreed on concerted action against the apartheid regime. [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 134|Resolution 134]] called upon the nation of South Africa to abandon its policies implementing racial discrimination. The newly founded United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid, scripted and passed [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 181|Resolution 181]] on 7 August 1963, which called upon all states to cease the sale and shipment of all ammunition and military vehicles to South Africa. This clause was finally declared mandatory on 4 November 1977, depriving South Africa of military aid. From 1964 onwards, the US and the UK discontinued their [[Arms industry|arms trade]] with South Africa. The Security Council also condemned the Soweto massacre in [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 392|Resolution 392]]. In 1977, the voluntary UN arms embargo became mandatory with the passing of [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 418|Resolution 418]]. In addition to isolating South Africa militarily, the United Nations General Assembly, encouraged the boycotting of oil sales to South Africa.<ref name="autogenerated2"/> Other actions taken by the United Nations General Assembly include the request for all nations and organisations, "to suspend cultural, educational, sporting and other exchanges with the racist regime and with organisations or institutions in South Africa which practise apartheid".<ref name="autogenerated2"/> Illustrating that over a long period of time, the United Nations was working towards isolating the state of South Africa, by putting pressure on the Apartheid regime.

After much debate, by the late-1980s, the United States, the United Kingdom, and 23 other nations had passed laws placing various trade sanctions on South Africa. A [[disinvestment from South Africa]] movement in many countries was similarly widespread, with individual cities and provinces around the world implementing various laws and local regulations forbidding registered corporations under their jurisdiction from doing business with South African firms, factories, or banks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://actrav.itcilo.org/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/guide/antia.htm|title=Summary of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act|publisher=[[United States Congress]]|access-date=22 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722054047/http://actrav.itcilo.org/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/guide/antia.htm|archive-date=22 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>