Page 212 - Afrika Must Unite

AFRICA IN WORLD AFFAIRS 197

o f‘parity’ made a sham of democracy by providing 70,000 non-
Africans with fifteen seats in parliam ent and giving the same
num ber to 3,000,000 Africans.
Nothing like this busy concern with the African surge for
freedom could ever have happened without the concerted
pressure of the newly independent states within the world
organization of nations.
And they are able to operate their decisive influence because
m any of them adhere to a policy of non-commitment to either of
the East-West blocs, a policy of neutral non-alignment, but not
of passivity. They exercise their right of free choice in supporting
those acts which they consider will help to m aintain the peace on
which their continuance as independent nations rests.
W hen the United Nations came into being, the old order still
existed and its rules made concessions to the prevailing
assumption of the priority of the great powers. It is now necessary
that recognition be given and concession made to the novel factor
of a growing num ber of new states unwilling to be swallowed up
by the older, powerful ones. Thus, at the Conference of Non­
Aligned Countries, held in Belgrade in September 1961, I
suggested that three deputy secretary-generals should be
appointed, one from the East, one from the West, and the third
from among the uncommitted nations. This would reflect the
m ain streams of current political thought, restore confidence in
the secretary-generalship, and enlarge the objectivity of the
secretariat.
I also proposed the setting up of an executive body, elected by
the General Assembly, whose duty it would be to ensure that the
decisions of both the General Assembly and the Security Council
were faithfully and promptly put into effect. For it cannot be
denied that decisions are not always readily executed. An
effective secretariat is essential to the proper functioning of
the United Nations and the energetic implementation of
decisions.
Ever-darkening clouds over Angola, South-West Africa, the
Rhodesias, Congo, Laos, Korea, and over Berlin, gravely over­
cast the international sky. It is significant that so many uneasy
centres are in Africa and Asia. For where they are not the direct
outcome of W estern imperialist manceuvrings, they are engaged