International convention against apartheid in sports signed on 16 May by 43 states.

International Convention against Apartheid in Sports signed on 16 May by 43 States

Representatives of 43 States on 16 May signed the International Convention against Apartheid in Sports at a ceremonial meeting of the Special Committee against Apartheid.

The Convention, adopted by the General Assembly on 10 December 1985, will come into force after it has been ratified or acceded to by 27 States.

Under the Convention, States parties strongly condemn apartheid and undertake to pursue immediately the elimination of apartheid in all its forms from sports. They commit themselves not to permit their sports bodies, teams and individual sportsmen to have contact with a country practising apartheid.

Regarding appropriate action against those participating in sports activities in a country practising apartheid or with teams representing such a country, States parties agree to: refuse to provide financial assistance; restrict access to national sports facilities; void sports contracts; and withdraw national honours or awards. They also are to deny visas to sports persons representing a country practising apartheid and expel such countries from international and regional sports bodies.

States parties also try to ensure universal compliance with the Olympic principle of non-discrimination. They undertake to prohibit entry into their countries of sports persons who have participated in sports competitions in South Africa, or persons who invite bodies and persons participating under the flag of a country practising apartheid.

Parties also undertake to ensure the expulsion of South Africa from all federations in which it still holds membership and to impose sanctions against national federations condoning exchanges with a country practising apartheid.

The Convention states that provisions relating to South Africa shall cease to apply when the system of apartheid is absolished in that country. It provides for creation of a 15-member Commission against Apartheid in Sports to monitor actions taken to give effect to the Convention.

Those signing the Convention were: Algeria, Barbados, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Byelorussian SSR, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Cuba, Democratic Yemen, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, German Democratic Republic, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic...