The Harare and United Nations Declarations of 1989, representing an international consensus on what would constitute an acceptable transition to a new South Africa, define the process as essentially a South African one.
Within this framework the role of the international community is defined principally in terms of maintaining pressures, mainly through sanctions, for a democratic negotiating process leading to a new democratic and non-racial constitution.
Sanctions were a focus of attention throughout the year: the UN Declaration of December 1989 called for the maintenance of sanctions until such time as there was 'profound and irreversible change' in the process of replacing the apartheid system.
In September the General Assembly considered a report by a team which it had sent to South Africa, and concluded that insufficient progress had been made for a change in policy.
In February this year the Commonwealth foreign ministers met to review the situation following De Klerk's announcement of the intended removal of apartheid legislation, in particular the Land Acts, the Group Areas Act and the Population Registration Act. De Klerk's announcement of increased state and private sector funding to redress social conditions was also considered. The meeting also noted that De Klerk made no mention of any intention to remove the remaining obstacles to a climate for negotiations, in particular to remove or suspend repressive legislation. The foreign ministers concluded that there was insufficient progress to change the sanctions policy of the Commonwealth, and that any change should be related 'not to mere statements of intention, but to the adoption of real, practical steps in the destruction of apartheid'. The Frontline States and the Organisation of African Unity adopted similar positions.
