United Nations Commissioner for Namibia

United Nations Commissioner for South-West Africa was a post created by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1966 to assert the UN's direct responsibility for South-West Africa which was then under illegal occupation by apartheid South Africa.

UNGA renamed the post United Nations Commissioner for Namibia in 1968.

Namibia eventually achieved its independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990.

Background

After World War I, South Africa was given a League of Nations mandate to administer South-West Africa. Following World War II and the introduction of apartheid, South Africa's mandate was revoked by UNGA in October 1966. In May 1967, during its fifth session, UNGA established the United Nations Council for South-West Africa "to administer South-West Africa until independence, with the maximum possible participation of the people of the territory". In 1968, it adopted the name "Namibia" for the territory. The United Nations Security Council endorsed UNGA's actions by adopting resolutions 264 and 269 of 1969.